A man taking part in a surfcasting contest was last night still in intensive care at Middlemore Hospital after suffering serious spinal injuries in a crash on Ninety Mile Beach.
It is understood the 66-year-old, the vehicle's sole occupant, was heading back to his campsite after the day's prizegiving in the Snapper Bonanza when his four-wheel-drive rolled several times. The accident occurred 10km south of The Bluff about 6.30pm on Thursday.
Other fishermen helped him out of the wreckage and applied first aid until an ambulance officer arrived. Complicating the rescue was the near high tide, leaving little firm sand to drive on.
Fire chief Warren Bunn, of the Pukenui Rural Fire Party, said it was fortunate the tide was dropping. Even so the ambulance got stuck about half a kilometre short of the crash scene so a fire appliance had to pick up the medic.
The fire truck could not risk stopping on the soft sand so kept driving in circles until the ambulance officer could jump on board. The ambulance was later towed out of the sand.
