Man injured on fishing boat

A fishing boat. Photo / Supplied

Two helicopters are en route to airlift a man from a fishing boat south of Bluff after he fell into a conveyor belt.

The man, believed to be from Indonesia, had a broken leg and other injuries and would be airlifted from the vessel more than 240km south of Stewart Island, Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand spokeswoman Sophie Hazelhurst told NZPA.

He was a crew member on the boat, the Dong Won 530.

The helicopters, from Te Anau and Otago, had left Invercargill at 2.20pm and were expected to reach the vessel before 4pm, Ms Hazelhurst said.

It was protocol to send two helicopters for backup for a long range rescue, she said.

- NZPA