Farmer in quad bike accident

Medical staff and the crew of the Lowe Corporation Rescue Helicopter arrive at the Hawke's Bay Hospital with the 39-year-old victim. Photo / Paul Taylor

A 39-year-old man involved in a quad bike accident yesterday managed to walk over a kilometre to his house with suspected neck and spinal injuries to call emergency services.

Police and ambulance staff were alerted to the accident at Mangaorapa, near Porangahau just before midday yesterday.

Senior Constable John Singer was the first on the scene and said the man was moving stock when the quad bike he was on rolled down a 3m bank.

"He's come off the bike as it's rolling and struck his head on a tree." Mr Singer said the man ended up in a swamp at the bottom of the bank and was knocked out.

"He was very lucky, the bike got hung up in the tree. Had it landed on him he could have drowned in the mud."

The man managed to crawl out and walk home to ring for help.

St John district operations manager Stephen Smith said ambulances from Porangahau and Waipukurau were dispatched and the Lowe Corporation Rescue Helicopter put on stand-by.

Mr Smith said the man sustained painful neck injuries and spinal injuries and was flown to Hawke's Bay Hospital for treatment.

He said his condition was considered moderate at the time and last night he was in a stable condition.

Mr Singer said the accident is a timely reminder of the importance of wearing helmets while on quad bikes and other farm vehicles.

"I've been to three fatalities on farms in the past nine months that have involved some kind of farm vehicle. People have got to be so much more careful."

Mr Singer said people need to be aware farm vehicles can be dangerous.

"They need to be treated with respect to prevent any further accidents."