Air and water search for skydiver suspended

One man has been rescued and taken to hospital with minor injuries, but another is still missing, after tandem skydivers crashed in Lake Wakatipu this afternoon.

Police said the water and air search for the missing skydiver was called off about 4.40pm and a shoreline search with LandSAR and the Coastguard would be conducted until about 6.30pm tonight.

"All searching will be suspended overnight and Police will make an assessment on the situation from 9am tomorrow."

Earlier today eleven boats, a number of jetskis and planes were involved in the significant rescue on the lake, but most have now returned to shore.

Police earlier said in a statement emergency services were contacted at 1.42pm with a report that two skydivers had landed in the lake, near Jack’s Point, meaning the person still missing has been in the water for longer than two hours.

"We have now ascertained that this was a tandem jump involving two males.

"One person has been recovered from the water and taken to hospital.

"A search is under way for the other person."

WorkSafe had been informed. 

The police said one of the men had been recovered and taken to hospital with minor injuries. 

Coastguard, a water taxi and other emergency services were involved in the rescue.

Police earlier said the pair were wearing life jackets.

NZONE Skydive operates a commercial tandem skydiving operation in the area. 

An Otago Daily Times reporter at the scene said by 3pm there was no longer a helicopter in the air, but multiple jetskis had joined the search.

It was becoming increasingly windy on the lake by 4pm and the water was covered in whitecaps.

By 5pm most of the boats had returned to shore.

The boats were searching an area about 1.5km from the shore.

NZONE Skydive business development manager Derek Melnick confirmed to the Otago Daily Times it was aware of the incident and that its planes had been involved in the search.

"There has been an incident and it's currently being investigated as we speak [and] the police are on site," Mr Melnick said.

The company was in the middle of preparing a statement, but Mr Melnick said he was not yet "100% clear" about what had occurred.

"It's an unfolding event that I can't really give you any update on yet."

The company also made news headlines in January last year after two of its instructors were seriously injured during a tandem training flight.