Two Saudi Arabian men had to be rescued from Lake Wakatipu off Queenstown yesterday after they fell out of kayaks near Earnslaw Park in rough conditions.
The men, aged 20 and 21, were thought to have fallen out just after 2.30pm and after being spotted in trouble, were rescued by jet-boat operator Kawarau Jet.
St John ambulance operations team manager Alana Reid said the pair were assessed by ambulance staff on Beach St and later discharged after warming up in the ambulance.
Sergeant Steve Watt, of Queenstown, said the men were spotted about 100m out from the shore at Queenstown Gardens after one of them had "toppled" out of his kayak. Being unable to swim, he grabbed his friend's kayak and sent him into the water as well.
"They were in the water for about nine minutes until K-Jet pulled them out of the water."
Sergeant Watt said the choppy conditions on the lake were not appropriate for kayaking.
"People need to be aware of these conditions and make the appropriate choices as to whether to go out and whether or not to hire canoes to send people out in."
