Police say a whitebaiter swept out to sea near Christchurch on Sunday would have drowned if he had not been wearing a life jacket.
The 74-year-old man was dragged into the ocean at the mouth of the Rakaia River at about 5pm.
A rescue helicopter from Christchurch spotted him one kilometre out to sea and winched him to safety about an hour later.
He is suffering from hypothermia.
