A woman is in a critical but stable condition after a motor scooter accident above Little Oneroa on Saturday.

The woman, aged in her 30s, is believed to be a visitor who hired a scooter on the island with her husband.

Waiheke St John Ambulance station manager Lloyd Barnett says the woman suffered head and chest injuries when her scooter crashed into a metal barrier on Ocean View Road near the intersection of Moa Avenue.

No other vehicles are believed to have been involved in the accident and it did not appear to have been caused by a medical condition, Mr Barnett says.

Sergeant Chris Kerekere says police are investigating the cause of the crash.

The Auckland Westpac Rescue Helicopter landed next to St Peter’s Catholic Church at about 2.30pm and flew the woman to Auckland City Hospital.

Mr Barnett says scooter accidents on the island often injure several people each year, although fewer crashes than usual have occurred this summer.

“People need to be careful on scooters, wear the necessary safety equipment, obey the road rules and travel within their capability,” he says.

A helmet should be worn while riding bikes and scooters, as well as shoes and clothing that cover the body, says Mr Barnett.

In another incident on Saturday, a Waiheke man in his 50s was seriously injured in a fall from a ladder. The rescue helicopter arrived in Onetangi at about 7.40am to take the man to hospital in Auckland.

There was “some delay due to extricating the patient”, but his condition soon improved to “moderate”, according to a rescue helicopter spokesperson.

St John Ambulance had a fairly typical week, with 14 medical emergencies and three calls to accidents on the island in the week ending on Sunday. • Rose Davis

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