A Queenstown man plucked from the middle of Lake Wakatipu in the early hours of this morning was lucky to be alive, Queenstown Lakes District harbourmaster Marty Black said.

The man in his mid-twenties had taken a jet ski for a night ride in the early hours of the morning, with no navigational lights and wearing only light clothing under his lifejacket.

"By the time we got to him he was around 1.5 kilometres from land in the southern arm of the lake. His hands and feet were numb, he was so cold he couldn't even hold on to anything," Mr Black said.

It was unclear what time the man had run out of petrol but Mr Black believed he had been out in the middle of the lake for at least an hour before being rescued.

"What saved his life was the fact that he had a cellphone with him and he was able to call for help," Mr Black said.

A search was mounted immediately and the man, wearing shorts and a light jacket, was discovered afloat in the dark at 5.30am.

"It was absolute stupidity. Lucky for him the lake was dead flat, if the wind had come up or if he'd fallen off it would have been all over," Mr Black said.

The man, who would be slapped with the $200 callout cost, was likely to face further charges.

"At this stage we are considering prosecution," Mr Black said.

With summer just around the corner, the incident was a timely reminder for people to adhere to the rules or face the consequences.

ENDS

For further information please contact Marty Black 0274 345 289.

By: Sarah