Wairarapa beach rescues back-to-back

BUSY: Life Flight handled two rescues in Wairarapa yesterday.

Life Flight flew two men from separate coastal incidents in Wairarapa yesterday.

The helicopter team was called to the first incident at Riversdale about 11am.

They found a 47-year-old Manawatu man suffering from hypothermia he developed after becoming trapped in the water for 45 minutes.

"As I understand it the man was retrieving a fishing net in shallow water when he got caught up in currents," says Life Flight crewman Dave Greenberg.

"He was unable to get himself back to shore until assisted by someone from shore who saw him in trouble."

He said the man was being treated by locals when the helicopter and a road ambulance arrived.

The man was transported to Wairarapa Hospital in a stable condition.

As the helicopter left Wairarapa Hospital to return to Wellington it was sent to Tora, on the South Wairarapa coast, to a man who was stabbed by a stingray.

Mr Greenberg said a 21-year-old Masterton man had received a minor injury from a stingray barb stab to his lower leg. The man had been walking in shallow water when he felt sharp pain.

The man was flown to Masterton Hospital with a minor wound, he said.