His hand had been caught in a winch, severing his thumb, while it was feared that he could lose a finger as well. He was reported to be in severe pain.
A Northland Electricity rescue helicopter was dispatched, and at 6.45pm, less than two hours after the first call was received and after refuelling at Kaitaia on the way north, the pilot advised that a winchman was being lowered on to Eclipse's deck.
Twenty-one minutes later Mr Martin was aboard the helicopter and heading for hospital.
He was assessed at Whangarei, where the helicopter again refuelled, before continuing the flight to Auckland's Middlemore Hospital.
"Credit must be given to the pilot and paramedics during this potentially treacherous rescue," Ms Hall said.
"Despite the conditions it was all completed within two hours, give or take a couple of minutes, from the initial call to police to a successful air lift."
The helicopter arrived at Middlemore Hospital at approximately 10.30pm, Mr Martin undergoing four and a half hours' surgery where the nerves and tendons on one index finger were reattached and a second finger was pinned and screwed. The thumb, which had travelled with the injured man, still inside his glove, could not be reattached.
