A digger tumbled and rolled about 200 metres down a steep ravine, seriously injuring its operator at a logging site in Waikato this morning.
Crew of the Auckland Westpac Rescue Helicopter were dispatched to Patetonga at 9.36am following the accident.
Helicopter pilot Russell Procter says a man in his twenties had been inside a digger which rolled.
He had been wearing a seatbelt and was able to free himself from the cabin of the digger, Mr Procter said.
Local operators then set off an emergency beacon and Fire personnel attended.
While they were able to reach the scene it was not possible to carry the patient out due to the difficult access and steep terrain.
Helicopter crew were unable to land at the scene, so landed nearby and prepared the helicopter for a winch extraction.
They then relocated to the scene and winched intensive care paramedic Karl Taylor down to the patient with a stretcher.
The patient was then winched out and flown to Waikato Hospital in a serious, but stable condition.
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