An overturned inflatable boat with a life jacket floating next to it in Lake Dunstan sparked several calls to emergency services yesterday afternoon.
Sergeant Simon Paget, of Cromwell, said the boat was seen in the water near the Cairnmuir slip at the Cromwell end of the gorge. Police contacted a local businessman with a boat, who had assisted them before with water rescues, and they were at the site within 15 minutes.
The owner of the boat, a visitor to the area, was quickly found safe and well on the southern side of the lake. The man explained he had rowed across the lake to go tramping, and tied the boat up, but high winds had apparently broken it from its mooring.
''In fact it was blowing so hard, the boat had been blown out of the water and up the hill by the time we got there,'' Sgt Paget said. Although the man had worn a life jacket while crossing the lake, the boat was ''no more than a toy, really'' and was unsuitable for such an activity, he said.
''He was a bit embarrassed at having alarmed people and offered to reimburse the gentleman who provided the rescue boat for his time and fuel.''
