Injured boy lowered out bedroom window

Firefighters had to lower a Springvale teenager out of his bedroom window and down the roof to an ambulance after he hurt his leg playing sports.

The 17-year-old boy received a soft tissue injury to his leg at sports practice on Tuesday evening. When he went home and then upstairs to his room, his injury became worse and he was "immobile" when an ambulance was called, Wanganui Fire Service senior station officer Gary Wilson said.

Because ambulance officers could not get a stretcher down the house's spiral staircase, firefighters were called to the Lincoln Rd address just before 11pm to assist.

"We put him in a stretcher and lowered him out the bedroom window, down the roof and down to the ground," Mr Wilson said. Firefighters set up a system with lines and two ladders to get the teen safely to the ambulance.

Wanganui St John territory manager John Stretton said the boy had an injury to his upper leg, preventing him from walking down the stairs.

Mr Stretton said while paramedics would call the fire service occasionally for help, it was "unusual to have to use the technique they used".

"I can't remember the last time that happened in Wanganui," he said.

The firefighters were "kind of experts" on getting patients to the ground from an upper-level area, he said.