'Life-threatening haemorrhage' just another fishy yarn for rescue helicopter

Auckland Westpac Rescue Helicopter staff arrived to find the woman in good spirits and not a drop of blood in sight. Photo / File

A woman's day on a fishing boat ended up with her husband driving her to hospital after a run-in with a slippery snapper.

The Whitianga-based Auckland Westpac Rescue Helicopter was sent to the scene after reports of a "life threatening haemorrhage" on a boat.

Arriving about 15 to 20 minutes later, intensive care paramedic Rob Gemmell said the woman "was absolutely fine".

"I don't know the specifics but somehow she got a [snapper] spine in her wrist.

"She was left with a very, very minor wound that really had no external land marks apart from a slight mound that looked like a mosquito bite."

Gemmell said he wasn't bothered by the false alarm.

"Somewhere along the track there was mention of her potentially bleeding to death ... so we were tasked to a life-threatening haemorrhage on a boat and when we arrived there, there was definitely no life-threatening haemorrhage, luckily.

"It wasn't bleeding at all when we got there."

Gemmell said the woman was "in good spirits".

"She was as good as gold."

After checking her wrist, the chopper's doctor helped her onto the wharf.

"Our doctor escorted her on their vessel to the wharf and we sent her on her way up to hospital herself, with her husband, we believe."

Gemmell was unaware how big the fish was that caused the injury.