Man fights for life after hammer attack

A 31-year-old Tauranga man is fighting for his life after he was attacked by a man with a claw hammer in Mt Maunganui yesterday.

The man, from beachside suburb Papamoa, was critically ill in Waikato Hospital today.

Police said his survival was "touch and go" after the attack in Commons Avenue.

The motive for the attack in broad daylight was not known, Senior Sergeant Rob Glencross said.

The man was hit in the head with a claw hammer. He was flown to Waikato Hospital by helicopter for emergency surgery to relieve pressure on his brain.

He appealed for information from anyone who knew what had happened or saw the attack shortly before 6pm.

The victim was in an induced coma and critically ill.

Doctors may try to bring him out of his induced coma and assess his condition later today.

- NZPA