A Queenstown man was injured when he hit a cliff face while base jumping in Skippers Canyon early yesterday morning.
Acting Sergeant Terry Wood, of Queenstown, said the jumper was 40-year-old Christopher Judice.
He was believed to be an experienced base jumper and skydiving jump master.
Mr Judice had gone to the Pipeline Bridge in Skippers Canyon with a friend to do the base jump before 7am.
Acting Sgt Wood said the parachute opened correctly when he jumped off the 102m high bridge, but Mr Judice hit the cliff face about 30m above the canyon and plunged into the river, landing in about 30cm of water.
He was able to drag himself on to a sandbank, where he waited for his friend to get help.
Mr Judice was assessed at the scene, appearing to have cuts and bruises and a possible dislocated or broken pelvis.
He was airlifted to Southland Hospital in Invercargill, and a spokesperson said this afternoon he was in a stable condition awaiting surgery.