Man crashes 15m down Great Barrier Island bank, waits overnight to be rescued

An injured man spent a night in a car wreck after crashing 15m down a bank on Great Barrier Island before being plucked to safety.

An Auckland Westpac Rescue Helicopter spokesperson said the service was called to Tryphena at 7.55am today.

Police confirmed the car crashed off Puriri Bay Rd.

They said the driver was the only one involved in the crash last night, and his car plummeted 10-15 metres on to the rocks below.

He was unable to get himself out or reach for a phone to call for help, so he was forced to wait in his car through the night before someone heard his car horn in the morning.

After being winched out by the helicopter, he was flown to Auckland City Hospital, where he remains in a serious condition.

An injured man has been winched to safety after spending the night down a bank in his car wreck on Gt Barrier Island.

A police spokesperson said they were called to Puriri Bay Rd about 7.50am.

“Police understand the vehicle [came] off the road and down an embankment last night.

“The driver was trapped and managed to alert members of the public to his whereabouts using the vehicle’s horn this morning.”