One person has been hurt in a helicopter crash in Mahia, St John said.

The pilot was the only person on board and has suffered moderate injuries, St John said after the crash early this morning in the remote part of Hawke’s Bay.

Police confirmed they got a call at 6.25am that a helicopter had gone down.

She said police received the report from St John, which is said to have received a call from a member of the public.

Police said the incident happened “right on the peninsula” and that the closest road they have been given is off Mahia East Coast Rd.

Local resident Katie Bowen told the Herald she heard sirens as responders headed to the scene.

A Mahia East Coast Rd resident said she also heard an ambulance with lights and sirens racing to an accident, along with a helicopter.

At one point a fire appliance pulled up outside her house for a short time before turning around again.

She has since seen the chopper, which she believed to be the rescue helicopter, fly back across the ocean towards Gisborne.

She said although they were remote the emergency services were “excellent”.

A St John central communications spokeswoman said a rescue helicopter, a first response vehicle and an ambulance vehicle were sent to the scene.

A Rocket Lab spokesperson says the crash is not related to Rocket Lab’s operations and doesn’t involve their team. Rocket Lab has a launch on the Mahia Peninsula.

The company was trying to find out more information to see whether they could offer help given the remote location.

“If we can support in any way, absolutely we will,” the spokesperson said.

The reports come less than a day after two people were killed and three others seriously injured in a chopper crash in Kaikōura.

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