A cyclist with a badly fractured collarbone was flown to Rotorua Hospital after falling from her bike on a training ride.
The woman, in her 40s, fell from her bike just north of Taupo yesterday afternoon.
Taupo-based Greenlea Rescue Helicopter pilot Nat Every said the seriousness of the woman's fracture meant the woman needed to be flown to hospital to receive "time-critical care".
The job came as the rescue helicopter was returning to Taupo after transporting a man to Waikato Hospital after a car crash near Taumaranui.
The man, in his 20s, had a hand injury which required urgent specialist treatment.