A remarkable story of bravery has emerged from Tuesday's Waikato Westpac Rescue helicopter crash that happened in dense bush on Mt Pirongia.
Graphic pictures from the scene show just how lucky the pilot, crewman and critical care paramedic were to survive the crash in the popular Pirongia Forest Park near Te Awamutu.
The helicopter went down at around 5pm on its way to retrieve a female hiker with an injured shoulder and Newshub can reveal immediately after it crashed, the paramedic on board bush-bashed the last 200 metres to get to the patient and help.
"We are absolutely delighted they have survived this ordeal, we are so proud of their bravery and resilience and our main priority right now is their health and well-being" Waikato Search and Rescue chief operating officer Chris Moody said.
Moody said the "battered and shaken" paramedic checked on his pilot and crewman who were uninjured, before hauling out his medical kit and traipsing through the bush to find the woman and her partner.
He administered an intravenous drip, before the Auckland and Taranaki rescue helicopters arrived on scene to airlift out the crew and their patient.
"We've wrapped the support around them necessary, they have been stood down from flight operations in the meantime, until we can ascertain the correct pathway to return them to flight duties all in good time," he said.
The Civil Aviation Authority said it's put in place a cordon one kilometre around the helicopter which sits up near the Wharauroa lookout.
A spokesperson for CAA said the site "contains evidence and possible hazards".
"The terrain is steep and hazardous. To preserve and protect the evidence, the Director of Civil Aviation prohibits any person from entering and accessing the site and any of the evidence," they said.
The cause of the crash is now the subject of a Transport Accident investigation.
Until that's complete the wreckage and its secrets are under wraps high on this iconic face.
"There were complex winds on the day however the nature of the cause of the accident has to be left to TAIC investigators who arrive here this evening" Moody said.
The crash leaves Waikato-King Country-Coromandel with just a single BK117 rescue chopper.
It's one of the country's busiest regions for emergencies with 998 missions undertaken last year.
Waikato Westpac Rescue Helicopters said coincidentally, it's in the process of commissioning a brand new $18 million state of the art machine.
In the meantime, rescue crews in surrounding regions are already offering back-up, so locals in this region who do need help aren't left out in the cold until that new helicopter is available.
