A hunter has been airlifted to safety after falling in rugged bush near Whakatane.
A spokesman from the Bay Trust Rescue Helicopter says search and rescue crews found the 28-year-old at 3am on Saturday and tried several times to move him from an inaccessible spot.
They then decided to wait until it was light and use the helicopter to winch him to safety.
The hunter is recovering in Whakatane with leg injuires.
