Boy injured in accidental hanging now stable

Police at the scene of a house at Mangawhai Heads where a 10-year-old boy has been rushed to hospital after a suspected accidental hanging. Photo / Brett Phibbs

A 10-year-old boy flown to Starship hospital after injuring himself on a hammock on Tuesday is now in a stable condition.

The boy is understood to have been playing with a hammock suspended from a chain when the suspected accidental hanging happened at a home in Mangawhai Heads.

Emergency services, including a Northland Emergency Services Trust Rescue Helicopter, were called to Heather St in the coastal town at about 10am on Tuesday.

A family renting a home nearby said they heard a woman screaming around the same time.

Police said the boy was playing with a piece of chain which attached to a hammock next to a swing when he was injured.

"We are doing everything we can to assist the boy's family during this difficult time," they said.