A man has been seriously injured after a piece of machinery fell out of the back of a ute, crushing him underneath it.

Two American tourists are now in a stable condition in hospital following a light plane crash in Central Otago yesterday, which claimed the life of the pilot.

The son of a pilot killed in a light plane crash yesterday has paid tribute to his “hero” father’s actions in saving his two passenger’s lives.

A Queenstown man has died at the scene of the light plane crash in the Poolburn area in Central Otago this afternoon, police said.

A body was found inside a Christchurch house overnight in what police are at this stage treating as a suspicious death.

The man killed while pruning a tree in Feilding today was apparently crushed against the trunk by safety equipment, police say.

A man who says he was "sleep-driving" when he allegedly crashed a car into a Wairarapa property last year has made a brief appearance in court today.

A St John Ambulance trial in which nurses call people back to assess their condition before sending an ambulance is being criticised by patients.

Lives were put at risk from couch fires lit too close to houses in Dunedin's student quarter, Dunedin police and the Fire Service have warned.

A woman is appalled it took three emergency calls to get help for an Auckland student writhing in pain at her inner-city campus.

A Thames mother gave birth in the back of a car this morning as she was driven across farmland to avoid a fallen tree and powerlines blocking the road to hospital.

It's taken 16 years rescuing patients and saving lives, but Darryl (Dazza) Sherwin has become the first Westpac rescue helicopter pilot to clock 2000 rescue missions.

Kiwis attempting to sidestep doctor’s fees while holidaying in Australia could soon be turned away from Sydney hospitals.

A man was dragged from his burning council flat by his cousin, who happened to see smoke coming from the area as he went out for a takeaway.

A New Zealand resident has been rescued from the Pacific Ocean after the boat he was in began sinking during a 3800km rowing race.

A man charged over a violent kidnapping and a daring escape from Auckland’s central police station will face trial.

When Marlborough Boys' College head boy Angus Pauley saw a young girl being swept away by a flooded Blenheim river this morning, he knew what he had to do.

A kayaker who capsized in wild Northland weather last night was embarking on his usual 10-minute commute home from work.