Man seriously injured in Queenstown tree fall

A 34-year-old San Francisco man is in Dunedin Hospital with life-threatening head injuries after falling 10 metres from a tree in Queenstown this morning.

Queenstown Ambulance manager Colin Robson said they had been called to the address in central Queenstown at 7.35am.

The man had fallen from about three-quarters of the way up the tree, sustaining serious head injuries. "His mate was also still up the tree when we got there," said Mr Robson.

"We told him to stay where he was."

The other man was uninjured and was later helped down by members of the public.

Mr Robson could not say at this stage why the men had climbed the tree.

The injured man was stabilised at Lakes District Hospital before being flown to Dunedin by the Lakes District Rescue Helicopter.

Police also attended the accident.

- NZPA