"It looks as they're going to bring the chopper down on the beach."
The crash is thought to have happened near the junction of Reef View Rd and Foreshore Rd, near the beach.
Another local resident said the rescue helicopter had difficulty finding the right place to land.
"They had a bit of trouble finding it but they're there now," she said.
"My husband went down for a look and he said it looked pretty bad, but you don't know."
She said roads in the area didn't seem to be closed off.
"People have been getting through."
A St John spokesman said the ambulance service was alerted to the crash at 3.43pm and sent two ambulances to the intersection of Reef View Rd and Foreshore Rd.
St John said a man aged in his twenties was being flown to Whangarei Hospital's emergency department.
A Northland Emergency Services Trust helicopter was understood to be airlifting the man.
