A man who had a close scrape with death on a central North Island river says the only reason he's alive today is due to the quick actions of his friend.

Rotorua man Ryan Lucaswas knocked unconscious and submerged underwater following an accident while paddling over the 25m high Tauranga-Taupo River falls in the Kaimanawa Forest Park on Monday.

Ryan was knocked unconscious following a bad landing after going over the falls. His friend, who was at the bottom looking out for him, immediately pulled him out and performed CPR on the riverside, successfully reviving him and saving his life.

'I'm only here in the first instance because of my fellow friend and kayaker whose quick actions in pulling me out of the water while I was unconscious and then performing CPR, means I'm still here today,” says Ryan.

'I'm feeling very grateful and lucky to be alive.”

The pair had originally planned to paddle a section of the river and were dropped off at the end of Kiko Road in the forest park at 3.30pm.

They did not take a cell phone or personal locator beacons with them.

After Ryan's friend pulled him out of the water and revived him, the kayakers continued paddling downstream but on the way down, missed an exit point and couldn't turn back. With the onset of darkness, the two stopped and lit a fire for warmth.

His friend then walked about 5km down a forestry road until he found cell phone reception, and just before midnight he was able to call Police and St John ambulance.

A search and rescue operation was initiated just after midnight involving Police, St John Ambulance and LandSAR Turangi volunteers. NZ Forest Managers personnel were also deployed, while the Taupo-based Greenlea Rescue Helicopter searched from above.

His friend was spotted on a forestry road at about 2am, and Ryan was found on the edge of the river by ground teams by 3am.

'In addition I would like to thank everyone else involved in my rescue, Greenlea Rescue Helicopter, NZ Police, Search and Rescue and the medical people involved.

'My recovery is going well. Thanks again to all concerned.”

Ryan says on the day of the accident the two kayakers had scouted the waterfall and made a safety plan prior to running it.

He blames the accident on a technical error he made which 'clearly had serious consequences”.

'I have run this waterfall previously and many others in my nine years of kayaking both in New Zealand and overseas.