Helicopter rescues teen after ambulance fire

A four-wheel-drive vehicle's flashing light was used to illuminate a landing strip at a remote west coast township overnight as a rescue helicopter landed to pick up a badly burned teenager.

The town, Taharoa on the west coast of the North Island just south of Raglan, had its own ambulance but the ambulance and its building were badly damaged in the same fire that seriously burned the teenager, thought to be about 17.

The damaged ambulance could not be used and the nearest road ambulance was more than an hour away.

Westpac Waikato Air Ambulance helicopter pilot Sue Dinkelacker, said the boy was treated for serious burns to his face, arms and legs and was flown direct to Middlemore Hospital in Auckland.

She said had he gone by road it would have taken several hours to reach hospital.

Ms Dinkelacker said it was very dark when the helicopter arrived to pick up the patient from Taharoa.

"He was very severely burned over a large portion of his body, including his face," she said.

"It was awfully dark down there and there were patches of cloud so we took it very carefully."

- NZPA