Rescue chopper winches injured woman to safety

The Auckland Westpac Rescue Helicopter was called after the woman slipped off a rock. Photo / File

A woman in her 60s who fell and injured her ankle has been rescued from the Waitakeres using an 80 foot winch.

Auckland Westpac Rescue Helicopter was called to Kakamatua track yesterday morning to attend to the woman, who had slipped off a rock as she crossed a stream.

A paramedic was lowered down to the woman to treat her before she was winched her up into the helicopter.

The woman was transported to North Shore Hospital.

An Auckland Westpac Rescue Helicopter spokeswoman said the woman and her partner were about 40 minutes from their car when the woman slipped.

"We got the call from ambulance because of the remoteness of the location," she said.

"The woman wasn't able to walk on her ankle back to the car so we winched her out using a 'super nappy' and took her to a nearby beach.

There, we put her on a stretcher and then took her to hospital."