A bunch of Tauranga university mates are being praised for their role in saving a father and son seriously injured after falling 100 metres off a cliff at Omanawa Falls.

Tauranga based TrustPower TECT Rescue Helicopter at the scene at Omanawa Falls. Photo: Kutz Photography.

The 10 students, former pupils of Tauranga Boys' and Otumoetai colleges were swimming at the falls when they witnessed the 38-year-old father and 12-year-old son tumble from the walking track about 4pm on Saturday.

'They could have stood back” says Rob Sperling, father of one of the students. 'But they all sprang into action.”

'They stabilised the two and kept them awake until the medics arrived.”

Rob says one of the students had to race up the track for cellphone coverage to raise the alarm. The other students used their towels to stop the bleeding.”

The Tauranga-based TrustPower TECT Rescue Helicopter was called to winch the injured pair and transport them to hospital.

The father suffered serious back and shoulder injuries. His son suffered serious head injuries. Both are recovering in Tauranga Hospital.

Bay of Plenty District Health Board communications manager Diana Marriott says the father is in a serious but stable condition in the hospital's Intensive Care Unit. His son is in a stable condition.

The students are a group of close mates with lifesaving experience. Rob Sperling's 19-year-old son Andre is an experienced whitewater paddler.

Despite their experience the group was still rattled by the experience.

'Afterwards they were quite solemn and a little freaked out by the whole ordeal," says Rob.

'The three car loads just wanted to go home and have a shower to get the blood off them and try to deal with what had started out as just a swim with some friends.”

Rob says it would have been pretty traumatic for the students to be confronted by the ordeal. And he's proud of their quick response.

'It was just really good that they just got stuck in there and did the best they could under the circumstances.

'They just did what we'd hope somebody else would do if you ever got into trouble. They were just quietly mature about the whole thing.”

Today the uni mates are back out camping in Whangamata.