The skipper of a fishing boat who suffered serious pelvic injuries while at sea off Northland was flown to Whangarei Hospital after being winched aboard a helicopter in a dramatic rescue.
About 4pm on Saturday, the Rescue Co-ordination Centre New Zealand alerted the North land Rescue Helicopter about an injured man on the fishing vessel Tirere just off North Cape, northeast of Kaitaia.
Northland Rescue Helicopter chief pilot Pete Turnbull said an aircraft had just returned from another medical emergency when it was refuelled and equipped for the hour-long trip to North Cape.
Advanced paramedic Andrew Ferguson and St John intensive care paramedic Mark Going were among four on board the helicopter.
Mr Turnbull said the weather was fine and the swell not too big when they arrived at the 21-metre, 50-tonne fishing vessel. Mr Ferguson was winched down with a special stretcher to assess the patient and after about 25 minutes, the injured skipper was winched up.