Man's legs damaged in ladder mishap

Emergency services came to the aid of a man who was seriously injured in an accident involving a ladder. File photo / Getty Images

A Waiheke Island man suffered excruciating injuries when the ladder he was on somehow collapsed, twisting his legs and trapping them between the rungs.

Waiheke Island chief fire officer Ron Leonard said the man was checking the levels of a water tank on the roof of St Peter's Catholic Church in Oneroa when the ladder fell shortly before 10am.

Both his legs became tightly wedged between the rungs of the ladder, which was lying on top of him.

One leg had twisted around completely and the other also looked dislocated.

He also appeared to have badly injured his shoulder in the fall.

"He was in a lot of pain. He was conscious but he was just groaning. It looked excruciating,'' Mr Leonard said.

His legs were so tightly trapped that firefighters had to use cutting equipment to free them.

It took about 45 minutes to get him to a waiting rescue helicopter, which flew him to Auckland Hospital.

People at the scene were baffled as to how he had ended up in the awkward position.

The top of A-frame step ladder was resting on the ground while the legs were up on the church's verandah.

It was possible the ladder's supports had not been properly fixed, Mr Leonard said.

The man was a member of the church.