Des Gavin is thankful his life was saved but is annoyed his injury has cost him his job and he's worried about how he'll support his children, including son Zack.

An injured pig hunter who was kept alive only by the warmth of his dogs after falling down a cliff is facing another battle - keeping his job.

Des Gavin suffered a spinal injury on the hunt in which he slipped and fell 25 metres down a bank in Marotiri, near Taupo, at the beginning of September.

He spent the night in deep bush tucked into ferns, with his hunting dogs huddled around him as he lay with a shattered spine.

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Rescue workers were looking for him but he had no idea where he was.

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"I landed flat on my back thought I had broken both my legs," Gavin said.

Alex Walker Des Gavin being winched to safety in early September.

His job, where had worked for the last two and a half years, was the last thing on his mind, and as the night got colder went on he began to wonder if this would be how he would die.

"I tried to text my partner telling her I love her and the to tell the kids that.

"The text failed but it sent after I was rescued.

"I really thought that was it for me."

Not one to give up hope Gavin managed to crawl his way into an area where he could get cellphone reception and made a desperate call.

"I looked at the phone and saw two per cent battery and just called 111 straight away. "That was about 5.30am and they found me not too long afterwards.

"I just want to say thank you to all the rescue workers for helping me that day. I told them in the bush but have not had a chance to say thank you publicly."

After a week in hospital the father of three returned to his farm home.

But days later he received an email from his employer of two-and-a-half years saying his job was in jeopardy.

After dropping off his ACC forms to the farm manager Gavin was told someone else had been hired.

"I received another email saying I had 14 days to vacate the property I lived in," he said.

"I really do not know where we are going to go. I've sent two of my children away to Auckland to live in the interim."

Because the house is on a Service Tenancy the landlord only has to give 14 days notice to terminate the lease.

Gavin said he is speaking up because he has had too many issues during his 16-years in the farming industry.

"I'm just sick of being screwed over. I don't know what I'm going to do. Farming is all I know but I don't want to work in that industry again."

Gavin said doctors were optimistic he could return to light duties within three months, and full work in four.

His employer Graham Law said there are no winners in this situation but the farm just could not cope without its "main man".

Law has been trying to fulfil the roles Gavin used to perform but it had put a lot of stress on his finances and family.

"I know Des would front up to work if he could," Law said.

"We asked for medical certificates and there was nothing in there that could say when he would be able to return to work.

"I can't risk everything on a maybe. I just could not cope without him and I had to get somebody in to help."

Employment Lawyer Gareth Abdinor said disputes between employees and employers over injuries were common.

"Both parties have to act in good faith," he said.

"If the employer is thinking they might have to terminate then they need to consult with employee about that and give an opportunity to provide more information.

"Often the employee will want to keep their role but the employer still needs someone to do the job."

Abdinor said if a contract needed to be terminated then employees would still be entitled to any time in lieu or holiday pay owing.

An ACC Spokeswoman said losing the job would not make a difference to compensation.

"They will still receive support and be entitled to 80 per cent of their salary as they were employed at the time of the accident," she said.

"I wouldn't want people to think they could go out play sport in the weekend, get injured and have no ACC."