Cliff plunge: Miracle as four survive horror 80m fall

The Waikato Westpac Rescue Helicopter. Photo / File

A man has escaped with just a broken shoulder after a car plunged 80m down a cliff on a coastal North Island road with three people inside.

Emergency services have winched the occupants of the vehicle to safety with the driver and passengers surviving the nightmare crash to the bottom of a gully.

The terrifying crash happened near Marokopa, King Country just before 11.30am.

A caller told police the car had gone 80 metres down the cliff in Rauparaha St in Marokopa.

A local told the Herald she was stunned anyone survived the crash, with the car hidden by thick bush at the bottom of a steep gully.

"It's unbelievable. It really is a miracle survival. They pulled everyone out of the gully and I don't know how the hell they lived," she said.

"You can't see the car from the road because it's gone into the gully and is hidden by trees."

The worst injured person, a young man, suffered a broken shoulder in the crash.

Fire and Emergency said four people were initially trapped in the vehicle.

Police organised a rescue team to go to the scene. The rescue helicopter was turned around mid-flight.

Police said all those inside the car were out and being treated by medical personnel.

St John Ambulance said four people, three with moderate injuries and one without injury, were taken to Waikato Hospital.