Man injured in parachute crash
A powered parachute crash in the Waikato has left a man in a critical condition.
The man in his 50s had just taken off in his powered parachute from a Tuakau reserve on Sunday when he struck trouble.
It appeared from witness accounts the man was struggling to gain altitude in motorised parachute machine, an Auckland Westpac Rescue helicopter spokesperson said.
About 10 metres into the air he came crashing down.
‘‘On descent he did a U-turn and landed heavily on a bollard, or metal pole in the ground.’’
The man suffered multiple, serious injuries, including a severe injury to his leg.
Passersby were first on scene and called emergency services for help at about 10.15am.
The injured man was flown to Middlemore Hospital in a critical condition.
The mission was one of 11 rescues for the rescue helicopter which had a busy weekend.
The night before crew were tasked to Ngatea to retrieve one of the occupants of two cars who were left in a critical condition after a crash.
Emergency services were called to State Highway 2 at 9.35pm following the two car crash.
One man, in his 30s, was trapped in a vehicle and suffered multiple injuries, the helicopter statement said.
He was flown to Auckland City Hospital in a critical condition.
A man and woman, both occupants of another vehicle, were flown to Waikato Hospital with multiple injuries by the Waikato Westpac Rescue helicopter.
And on Sunday afternoon a teenager was injured when he crashed off his motocross bike.
The male was riding at Karioitahi beach, near Waiuku, when his bike flipped sending him over the handlebars.
‘‘He suffered a severe laceration to his knee and minor head injuries,’’ a spokesman said.
The teen was wearing a helmet at the time, he said, and was travelling at speed.
The Auckland crew flew the teenager to Middlemore Hospital in a serious condition.