A man is in a critical condition in Waikato Hospital after his 4WD vehicle left the Lake Waikaremoana road and plunged more than 30 metres down a steep bank on Saturday night.
It is believed he lay in the wreckage overnight.
The emergency services were notified about the crash on State Highway 38, 22km inland from Frasertown, at about 10am yesterday.
Police, fire and St John ambulance crews from Wairoa responded, along with the ECT rescue helicopter from Gisborne.
"A jogger saw the hole in the fence where the 4WD went through, and went to investigate," said Detective Sergeant Martin James of Wairoa police.