Birdman competitor seriously injured

The popular Birdman competition is set to continue as part of the Queenstown Winter Festival despite one competitor suffering serious injury over the weekend.

A 24-year-old Queenstown woman fractured her C7 vertebra after jumping from a jetty into Lake Wakatipu during the competition on Sunday, festival director Simon Green said.

She required surgery but was in "good spirits" yesterday, Mr Green told the Otago Daily Times.

"For all events, we have a very robust safety plan in place, as part of which all competitors are given a full safety briefing," he said.

An internal investigation would include a review of those processes.

- NZPA