An experienced hiker who was swept almost to his death in a Tasman river, says it's the closest call he's ever had in the outdoors.
Chris Muse, an outdoor guide in Alaska, was walking the South Island section of the Te Araroa Trail when he struck bad weather on Tuesday.
Running low on food, he decided to push on, but got into trouble when he stepped into a flooded stream near the Motueka River.
He told RNZ Nelson reporter Tracy Neal he realises now that it would have been wiser to go hungry, than try to make the crossing.
Chris was eventually rescued after setting off his emergency beacon, which alerted authorities in Texas, who then contacted New Zealand rescuers.
He is now recovering in St Arnaud, in the Nelson Lakes National Park, before continuing on the trail to Bluff.
