Busy day for rescue helicopters

File photo / Daily Post

Rescue helicopters were called out to four separate incidents involving serious injuries in the Waikato and Bay of Plenty yesterday.

At 10am the Westpac Waikato Air Ambulance was called to Waihi after a 34-year old local man seriously wounded himself after trimming hedges with a bayonet at his home.

Pilot Dan Harcourt said the man received a deep stab wound to his groin and experienced heavy bleeding before St John paramedics were able to assist him. He was airlifted to Waikato Hospital.

The Hamilton-based helicopter then flew to Rotorua Hospital at 1.30pm to airlift a man to the Waikato Intensive Care Unit after he was shot in the face with a shot gun in Rotorua. This morning he was still in a serious condition.

At 4.30pm the crew flew to Te Aroha where a 53-year old local man was injured doing maintenance work at his home. He fell a few metres suffering a penetrating glass injury to his rear and suspected fractures to his pelvis and internal injuries. He is also now in Waikato Hospital.

The Rotorua-based BayTrust Rescue Helicopter was dispatched to the remote settlement of Ruatahuna around 80km east of Rotorua around 10pm to fly a 48-year-old man to Rotorua Hospital in a serious but stable condition after coming off a quad bike.

- NZHERALD STAFF