A man staying next to the Motueka River got a nasty surprise on Saturday morning when he awoke to flood waters surrounding his caravan.
The river is in flood along with dozens of others at the top of the South Island as record amounts of rainfall pummel the region.
Nelson Marlborough Rescue Helicopter pilot Barry McAuliffe said the rescued man managed to escape through the roof of his caravan.
McAuliffe said they initially thought they were going to a call-out about a campervan with people on the roof, but it turned out to be a caravan with a car completely submerged in front of it.
"A gentleman had found himself surrounded by water when he woke up in the morning," said McAuliffe.
"He'd managed to get up through the skylight in the caravan and get himself on to the roof out of the water.
"So we quite simply just went and rested the skid of the helicopter on the edge of the caravan roof and our medic jumped out and escorted the man back in to the helicopter and we shifted him to dry land."
Once the man was rescued, he was a little startled at what he had been through.
McAuliffe said the man was extremely upset at having lost his possessions and his car.
"I think he somewhat lived in his caravan, so everything to his name was underwater."
RNZ
