NZ relief worker hero of crash

New Zealand Red Cross worker Gerry Robertson dived for cover behind a pile of rice when an aid helicopter crashed in front of him in Pakistan.

"The engine burst into flames and...I told everyone to get away because I thought it would explode."

Moments later, the 40-year-old picked himself up, ignored his own warning and rushed towards the burning wreckage of the Puma helicopter.

"There was a choice to run away or get involved - I got involved, I couldn't leave them there," he told the Herald from Pakistan last night.

The crash happened on Thursday last week while the helicopter was delivering food to earthquake victims in Muzaffarabad.

Mr Robertson was waiting for it to drop its 13th sling of food for the day when he saw it get into difficulty.

"I was about 30m away. It was obvious the helicopter was going to crash because it was dropping very quickly out of the sky.

"The helicopter hit the ground, bounced up, spun around and flipped over...that's when I dived out of the way."

One of the two South African pilots fell out of the side of the helicopter, which crashed from a height of about 50m. The second pilot was trapped by his head in the wreckage and an injured crew member lay in the back.

The engine had burst into flames and the first pilot tried to extinguish it without success.

While he did so, Mr Robertson, with the help of some locals, pulled the crew member from the back.

They then used two wooden poles to wedge the six-tonne wreck off the ground to free the injured pilot.

"It wasn't a particularly nice experience because [the helicopter] had 400 litres of fuel on board."

Half an hour later a rescue helicopter took the injured pilot and crew member to Islamabad hospital. On the way, Dunedin nurse Carly Hawkins helped to tend to the injured men, who had broken bones and cuts.

Mr Robertson received some cuts and bruises and badly strained his back while lifting the Puma helicopter.

He said there were risks involved with his job but it all happened too fast for him to think about it.

"We all realised it was a dangerous situation and everyone did their part."

Fellow New Zealander Peter Scott said Mr Robertson's actions were much appreciated in Pakistan.

Mr Robertson, who is from the Kapiti Coast, travelled to Pakistan in November to help with the earthquake relief efforts. He is due to return home next month.

The earthquake last October killed about 73,000 people and left more than a million injured or homeless.