Woman crushed by cow

A Te Puke woman is in a stable condition in Tauranga Hospital after she was crushed by a cow.

The TrustPower TECT Rescue Helicopter was called to a farm on Old Coach Rd, Pongakawa, about 2.30pm yesterday.

The 53-year-old woman sustained spinal injuries as well as leg and arm injuries.

Today, a Tauranga Hospital spokesperson said the woman was in a stable condition in the orthopaedic ward.

Pukehina fire chief and farmer Errol Watts was a friend of the woman who was injured but did not make it to the scene as he was on his way to Mount Maunganui when he got the call about 2pm.

He said the woman and her husband, both experienced farmers, were loading the second storey of a stock truck when the accident happened.

"The animal has jumped off the loading ramp and landed on top of her. She would have been standing where anyone loading a stock truck would have been standing.

"It's just a freak accident," Mr Watts said.

He said there had been the odd case of people being crushed by cows but this case was quite unusual.

He believed the woman also had a gash to her head and may have fractured her eye socket.

"I would say she's not out of the woods yet," Mr Watts said.

Te Puke St John operations team manager Simon Campbell confirmed the accident was caused when a cow jumped over a rail on a truck they were loading and landed on top of the woman.

The woman sustained spinal injuries as well as leg and arm injuries.