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Rescuers have told how they battled for more than an hour to free a man crushed by tonnes of logs.
Felix Bradfield is in a critical condition after being trapped for hours under the timber near Raetihi in the central North Island.
A Square Trust Rescue helicopter was called to the forestry accident near Tohunga Junction just off State Highway 4 about 8 on Tuesday night.
A spokesman said part of a pyramid of logs more than 5m high had collapsed on to the self-employed firewood dealer, trapping him for a number of hours.
He is understood to have been cutting up logs for firewood
His rescue was long and involved, said a spokesman for the rescue helicopter.
"We were at the scene for about an hour and 20 minutes. Apparently when somebody has been trapped like that for a long period of time all the fluids can go rushing off in to the cavities and cause complications, like blood pressure dropping.
"So it's not just a case of freeing him quickly. There is a whole procedure you have to follow and the person's got to be stabilised before you can go lifting off the logs."
Extreme care was needed as the remaining stack of logs threatened to collapse further.
The man's wife, Linda Bradfield, raised the alarm when he failed to return home and friends found him trapped under the logs, where he had been since mid-afternoon.
Mr Bradfield, aged in his 50s, was treated and stabilised by St John paramedics before being flown to Palmerston North Hospital suffering from suspected ruptures to the spleen and liver.
Mrs Bradfield was at his bedside.
It was halfway through Tuesday night's prayer meeting in Raetihi that she sensed something was amiss. When she heard sirens, she feared the worst.
It is understood Mr Bradfield, known locally as Ernie, was receiving dialysis treatment as his kidneys began to fail.
The hospital listed him as critical but many of those close to him believe he will not die, citing their religious faith.
When Ernie did not turn up for the prayer meeting, Linda asked one of the men in the group to go out looking for him.
Soon after the volunteer Fire Service drove around the corner, heading toward where Ernie would have been working for at least the previous five hours.
Since early afternoon Mr Bradfield had been lying trapped under logs.
Local people described their neighbour as "community-minded", "a delight", "absolutely honest", and "hard-working".
Mr Bradfield runs an excavation and firewood supply business in the area - "We can do your digging or supply your firewood to keep you warm in winter" says an upbeat and friendly voice on his answerphone.
Friend and local hotel manager Honey Winter said everyone's heart went out to Mr Bradfield.
"He's a hard-working man, a thoroughly nice guy. And she's [his wife Linda] just beautiful. They're just so community-minded, they're in the church, involved in the business association and Raetihi promotions.
"Every morning he goes for a walk and takes a plastic bag with him and picks up all the rubbish. I'm making him out to be like a saint but that's what he really is."
Another close friend, Wilma Kinnaird, said: "He's held in the highest regard. He's a wonderful friend. He's one in a million."
