A woman has been rescued from a car after it plunged about 200 metres off a cliff into a river in Coroglen, south of Whitianga in Coromandel.
The car went off the road at 11.30am today and the Fire Service said the male driver managed to escape.
The female passenger was trapped in the car and a specialist rope rescue team freed her and brought her and the male driver back up the cliff.
The Fire Service says the pair are being taken to hospital by ambulance and the woman has "moderate injuries".
Fire service spokesman Jaron Phillips said weather hampered rescue efforts but the woman has been freed was eventually freed.
"A specialist rate rescue team was flown from Hamilton but couldn't land close to the scene, had to land in Tapu and then were driven up the hill to reach the scene.
"They've then abseiled down to this woman who's been in the vehicle, and then using lines and a stokes basket they've winched her back up."
The incident caused the closure of Tapu Coroglen Road at State Highway 26.
