Three hurt in trail bike event incidents

Three people were injured in two separate accidents during a trail bike ride in Porangahau on Saturday.

The Lowe Corporation rescue helicopter was called to the Porangahau Trail Ride, a 100km fundraiser for the sports-orientated Porangahau Country Club, at about 1.15pm.

Event organiser Grant Hornblower said it was a successful event apart from the injuries, with 280 riders taking part.

"If you have that many people going quick on motorbikes, you are going to have accidents," he said.

"We mark it out very well, and give them a safety speech and tell them to take it easy."

He said a four-wheel bike rolled backwards on to a motorcycle, injuring two people, and the other was separate accident.

A 20-year-old woman suffered concussion, a 60-year-old man had broken ribs and a 48-year-old man suffered a badly broken arm. All three were airlifted together to Hawke's Bay Regional Hospital for further treatment.

The helicopter was then called to the Kaweka Ranges in Hawke's Bay, where a 48-year-old man competing in the Backcountry Runner Kaweka Mountain Marathon was suffering from dehydration about 3.30pm.

The man was winched off a steep part of the bush track and flown to hospital.