Man flown to hospital in critical condition after falling 30m down a Mangaweka cliff

A teenage male is in hospital in critical condition after falling down a cliff near Mangaweka.

The accident happened at about 1.30am on Friday near Toe Toe Rd and Potaka Rd in the Rangitīkei District.

A Whanganui Fire Station spokesman said the brigade was called in to rescue the man who had fallen “30-odd metres” down a cliff bank.

“It was initially a straight drop, and then it was rough, sloping ground after that, but he ended up about 30 metres down with injuries,” he said.

A helicopter had to winch the patient out from where he had fallen, instead of fire crews completing a line rescue.

“Because of the time of night and the positioning of it, they thought that line rescue was going to be a good option but a helicopter was called in.”

A Grassroots Trust Rescue Helicopter spokesperson said the patient suffered significant trauma injuries and was in critical condition.

The onboard rescue helicopter crew stabilised the patient and airlifted him to Palmerston North Hospital within 20 minutes.

There was one other person aside from the patient at the scene of the accident who rang 111.

The victim suffered critical injuries and was unable to be seen from the road due to dense vegetation. Rescuers located him about 2.15am,” a police spokesperson said.

St Johns spokesman Gerard Campbell said the patient was treated at the scene and airlifted to Palmerston North Hospital in a serious condition.

A Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokeswoman said six fire crews attended, including the Taihape, Mangaweka, Ōhakune and Whanganui fire brigades.

Eva de Jong is a reporter for the Whanganui Chronicle covering health stories and general news. She began as a reporter in 2023.