Woman severely burned in barbecue accident

A barbecue accident has put an Auckland woman in hospital with severe burns to her face and chest.

Methylated spirits were understood to have been poured onto the barbecue in Port Waikato yesterday.

A 30-year-old woman, who was sitting some distance away, suffered flash burns when the fumes ignited.

The Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust was called to the scene at about 9pm, landing on grass on the foreshore, before flying her to Middlemore Hospital in a critical condition.

The incident followed a busy weekend for crews from the service, which flew a dozen missions between Friday night and yesterday.

On Saturday afternoon, a helicopter responded to a report of an unconscious man in a boat near Rangitoto Island.

The man, aged in his 50s, was transferred from the boat to a Coastguard vessel and taken to the island, where a helicopter crew picked him up and flew him to Auckland City Hospital in a moderate condition.

Later that afternoon, the service was called to a property in Helensville where a woman in her 20s received serious injuries after falling from a bucking horse.

On Friday night, a crew was called to a wharf near Great Barrier Island, where an 18-month-old boy and 3-year-old girl had been pulled from the sea after falling into the water.

The children were flown to Starship Hospital.

The toddler has been critically ill since Friday evening when he was admitted to hospital.

The little girl has been discharged.

On Sunday, crews were involved in another water incident -- this time at Matheson Bay, where a diver died after being pulled unconscious from the water.

The diver who recovered the man also became ill after ingesting water and was taken to hospital in a moderate condition.