Three people in critical condition airlifted to hospital after boat overturns in Coromandel
Wednesday, 5 January 2022
Three people in critical condition have been airlifted to hospital after a boat overturned at Pauanui beach in the Coromandel Peninsula.
A St John spokeswoman said it was called at 2.37pm Wednesday to Vista Paku, Pauanui to respond to a water incident.
Three helicopters, two ambulances, two managers, and one rapid response unit, all responded to the scene.
Five people in total received medical assistance, with St John treating three patients in a critical condition and two in a minor condition.
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Two of the patients in critical condition were airlifted to Auckland’s Starship Hospital, and one patient in a critical condition has been airlifted to Waikato Hospital, the spokeswoman said.
The Pauanui bar is very dangerous at present with a lot of sand build up from storms earlier in 2021.
A police spokesperson said they received reports just before 3pm and that police and emergency staff “responded to a water related incident”.
“Reports of a boat overturned,” they said.
“Everyone has been accounted for.”
A Coastguard spokesman confirmed that Coastguard Tairua-Pauanui attended the incident, supporting other emergency services at the scene.