Myself and a friend were kayaking the Motu River, in New Zealand. Once you begin the Motu there is no way out until you reach the end after three days of grade 6 rapids.

The summer had left the river drier than we expected and on day 2 we hit the stair case. A double drop which at this time of year was onto rocks. We planned to portage around the falls but with cliffs of 300 metres on each side and car size boulders blocking our route we soon fell in. My friend Ben was swept into the river and headed to the top of the fall. Five metres from the top and certain death on the rocks below, he grabbed a branch and clambered onto a small slippery rock in the middle of the river. In failing light, all of our equipment gone, one of us on the shore and one perched on a rock in the middle of the river, it was time to activate our PLB. Two hours later in the pitch black help arrived in the form of Greenlea Rescue helicopter. The amazing pilot negotiated the steep sides of the gorge and dropped off two rescuers who pulled Ben from the river with the help of a very long line.