Ashburton Volunteer Fire Brigade members freed a boy who had his finger severely injured and stuck in a bicycle wheel.
They were called to his Netherby address about 1pm on Sunday.
Chief Jeff Marshall said when firefighters arrived, Hato Hone St John was already at the scene.
‘‘Unfortunately we cut up this wee fellow’s bike,’’ Marshall said.
But the boy, aged about 11, ‘‘didn’t care too much’’ seeing his bike destroyed, having been on painkillers administered by the St John team.
And while his parents were distressed at the situation their son was in, they remained calm.
Marshall said the boy had been undertaking maintenance on the bicycle when the accident happened.
His finger had become caught between the frame and rear disk brake unit.
‘‘You would call that as a freak accident, he just grabbed a hold of it at the wrong time,’’ Marshall said.
Fifteen minutes after firefighters arrived, the boy was free.
His mother accompanied him in an ambulance as he was taken to Christchurch Hospital for surgery.
A St John spokesperson said one patient was assessed at the scene and transported to the hospital in a moderate condition.
In other news, the brigade is applauding the actions of a house resident at Hampstead. The person heard a 9kg LPG bottle, used for a heater, leaking.
They put it outside and called the brigade.
Marshall said LPG was an explosion risk when at high concentrations indoors.
Firefighters at the scene monitored the situation, letting the gas dissipate outdoors.
Meanwhile, Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) said the Ashburton District had no fireworks-related callouts on Wednesday night – the official Guy Fawkes night.
A spokesperson said while it was good news, people must remain vigilant with safety when using fireworks.
They recommended people attended professional events, where possible, such as the Rakaia Lions annual family fireworks night on this Saturday night in the Rakaia Domain from 6pm. There will be food vendors, live music and children’s activities.
FENZ said although there had been a fair bit of rain around, things did dry out quickly at this time of year, and as seen, the current conditions allowed fires to get large and out of control.
“If there is a public fireworks display in your area, head along to that rather than light your own. Our preference is always that fireworks are best left in the hands of the professionals.”
“If you are lighting fireworks though, please take some simple precautions to keep everyone safe: If the conditions are dry and windy, then don’t light fireworks.”
Visit www.checkitsalright.nz to check the current and upcoming conditions in your area, as well as to see if there are any bans in place.
You must have the landowner’s permission to set off fireworks.
Light them in a wide-open space, away from anything that could catch fire and have a bucket of water or hose nearby.
Ensure your fireworks are pointed at the sky and not at people, pets or anyone’s home.
Think about your community let your neighbours know if you are planning to set off fireworks, be aware of people or animals that live around you and keep your pets inside.
Lastly, dispose of your fireworks safely and soak them in water before you throw them out.
