A 16-year-old boy is in critical condition in Taupo hospital after being involved in a motorbike crash with his father.
Police say it appears alcohol was involved in the crash in which the teenager's bike hit a bank and his father's bike lost control as it skidded on a verge in the early hours of Monday morning.
The Youthtown Trust Rescue Helicopter was called shortly before 2am. Pilot Andrew Harrison says the pair dropped into a gully and were lucky that a family member came out looking for them.
The teenager remains in a critical condition in intensive care at Waikato Hospital, while his 35-year-old father sustained moderate injuries and is in Rotorua Hospital.
