Paul Joseph Woods (29), who had been working at Dunedin Hospital for six months, was killed when the privately-owned boat carrying five people flipped after hitting a gravel bank near Cameron Flat about 4pm.
The accident happened about 10km upstream of the Glenfinnan Training Works - an Otago Regional Council flood protection scheme where a Queenstown Lakes District Council bylaw takes effect prohibiting boat users travelling upstream past the structure.
QLDC harbourmaster Marty Black declined to comment about whether the jet-boat travellers should have been on that stretch of river.
The accident is under investigation by Maritime Safety New Zealand.
Preliminary inspections were being carried out at the scene yesterday evening by a Maritime Safety investigator who had flown by helicopter from Christchurch.
A St John spokeswoman said a 25-year-old woman received moderate injuries and a male in his 40s received serious injuries.
Both were airlifted by the Otago Regional Rescue Helicopter to Dunedin Hospital.
The male driver and a female passenger were not injured and were taken away from the scene by acting Wanaka Search and Rescue police co-ordinator Constable Mike Johnston.
Wanaka Alpine Shuttles driver Floortje Draisma was taking passengers into Mount Aspiring National Park when she was waved down, just past Cameron Flat by a group of people who had been on a picnic.
Ms Draisma drove back along Mt Aspiring Rd to radio emergency services from a Wanaka canyoning depot at Leaping Burn before she returned to the accident site with Deep Canyon staff.
The group assisted a doctor in the picnic party to administer first aid to the four surviving jet-boat passengers, Ms Draisma said.
Mr Black said jet-boat drivers needed to careful when navigating rivers.
"Jet-boating is an adventure activity and people need to be remember to be careful out there."
