A cyclist who tried to ride across the Snowy River at Suggan Buggan in remote far-east Gippsland has been plucked to safety in a dramatic overnight rescue.
The Victoria Police helicopter was called in to save the 31-year-old cyclist who was stranded in the river for four hours, clinging to reeds to stay afloat.
They got into strife while trying to ride across the river, just before 8pm.
Police said the well-equipped cyclist activated a satellite communication device, which alerted the Rescue and Coordination Centre (RCC) providing location coordinates.
Officers from the Victoria Police Air Wing spotted a fellow cyclist on the riverbank before a rescuer was winched down to pluck the cyclist from the water, just after midnight.
The cyclist was taken to hospital for assessment but was uninjured.