Mountain bike rider transported to hospital by helicopter from Karapoti

The Wellington-based Westpac Rescue Helicopter transported a 32 year old
woman to hospital today after she fell from her moutain bike while
riding at Karapoti near Upper Hutt.

The helicopter, with a Wellington Free Ambulance paramedic onboard was
called to the accident just before midday today. The woman was believed
to have fallen in an area approximately 50 minutes walking time from the
Karapoti carpark end of the trail. The alarm was raised by fellow riders
who had to return to the the Karapoti carpark to get cellphone coverage.

"Our initial information was that she had fallen down a steep bank and
may need to be winched from where she had fallen" says Colin Larsen,
Westpac Rescue Helicopter crewman. "We were told by the womans friends
that she had suffered quite a deep laceration to her left leg".

One of the womans friends was able to help the helicopter crew navigate
to where it was thought she had fallen. A brief search of the area was
carried out by the helicopter before we were notified that other bike
riders had helped the woman back out to the Karapoti carpark.

The helicopter then returned to the carpark where the woman was treated
by the Wellington Free Ambulance helicopter paramedic and flown to the
Wellington Hospital Emergency Department. She is currently being further
assesed and treated for her injury.