Hundreds of children mobbed paramedics as they tended to a patient at a beach north of Auckland this weekend.
A man in his 40s injured his neck after going head first into sand while surfing at Tawharanui in the Hauraki Gulf on Sunday.
The Auckland Westpac Rescue Helicopter crews landed 500m away from where the man was, as the site was crowded with tents.
Crews got to him using quad bikes, and attracted a legion of young fans on the way.
The man was left in the care of a doctor and St John crews.