Injured man trapped under harvester

A Napier man is seriously ill in Hawke's Bay Hospital after being trapped for several hours under an overturned forage harvester.

The 39-year-old was driving the machine on a road when it rolled down a bank near Patoka, 45km northwest of Napier, last night.

He was found about 11.20pm after he managed to radio for help.

Fire crews from Napier and Hastings used air bags to lift the harvester and free him before he was flown to hospital by rescue chopper.

His boss and partner of Silage Hawke's Bay, Mike Kettle, told Hawke's Bay Today he believed the accident was about 8.30pm.

"We spent about half the night trying to get him out. At this stage, we don't know what happened, the road was clear and straight as far as I could ascertain."

- NZPA