Tricky rescue mission to save man in serious condition

Emergency services worked together in a tricky mission to rescue a man with serious injuries from his crashed car down a bank.

The crash happened just before 2pm on State Highway 5, south of Rotorua, near Eight Mile Gate.

Fire, St John Ambulance and police were called to the scene after a car broke through a barrier on the side of the road and went down a bank.

Paramedics climbed down the bank and stabilised the man before they put him into a stokes basket and winched him to the roadside.

A St John Ambulance spokesman said the call was received at 1.52pm and three ambulances were sent. The first arrived at 2.06pm.

It took until about 3.40pm before the emergency crews were able to winch the man to the roadside to the waiting ambulance

A man is pulled up from the bank following a crash south of Rotorua this afternoon. Photo/Ben Fraser

Rotorua Fire Service senior station officer Ben Alton said the rescue itself only took about 5 minutes, but the delay was getting the man stabilised enough to be moved from the vehicle and on to the stretcher.

He said the emergency services crew members used rescue lines and "people power" to get him up the bank.

"It only took about 5 mins to get him out but it was a very long period of time while we were waiting for the patient to be well enough to be moved onto the stretcher."

The man was taken to Rotorua Hospital. His injuries were not known.

A witness told the Rotorua Daily Post that a man had crashed through a barrier on the side of the road.

"He has peeled back the barrier and gone down into the ravine on the other side," she said.

A Rotorua Daily Post photographer at the scene said the barrier was damaged. He said traffic was flowing during the rescue.