A guide has died after a raft overturned this morning on the Shotover River near Queenstown.
Shotover River. Photo: sellphoto1/123RF
Police said emergency services were alerted shortly before 11.30am on a stretch of the river known as 'The Toilet', which is near rapids.
One man was taken by helicopter to Queenstown Lakes Hospital, but police have confirmed the man has died.
Police said five other people who were in the raft at the time were uninjured.
Queenstown Rafting general manager Luke Taylor said the guide had just gone through the rapids halfway through a trip in Shotover River.
The guide was trying to recover an overturned raft, but was found unresponsive shortly afterwards in the water.
Mr Taylor said CPR was performed but the guide did not survive.
The man was one of Queenstown's most experienced guides and staff were devastated.
There were 11 passengers and three experienced guides on two rafts on the trip.
He said rafting operations had been suspended, and an internal investigation would be conducted.
Police are working with Maritime New Zealand and Queenstown Rafting to determine what happened and the death has been referred to the Coroner.