By 3 News online staff
A local rescue helicopter crew are being praised by Waikato Police for coming to the aid of a farmer stranded by rising flood waters near Te Aroha.
Concerned family members of the 59-year-old farmer contacted police before 7am as he hadn’t been seen since early last night.
"As things turned out the farmer, whose property borders the Waihou River, had been feeding out on the back of his farm when he got trapped by rising water levels flooding his paddocks,” says district search and rescue coordinator Constable Dave Pitchford.
"The man's brother in law became aware of his plight and went to cross the water in a tractor to rescue him but this got stuck and the driver was just able to make it back to dry land. This left the farmer stranded with an uncomfortable night ahead of him."
Mr Pitchford says police rang the Westpac Waikato Air Ambulance in Hamilton who were able to lift the man to safety.
"The man was very grateful if not a little bit embarrassed about his plight. A paramedic on board the helicopter was able to assess the farmer's condition and he was found to be in good health," says Mr Pitchford.
3 News