Two helicopters flew seven people to Dunedin Hospital after they were injured in separate incidents during a motorcycle trail riding event near Lawrence.
The patients included a 42-year-old woman with spinal and pelvic injuries and a 12-year-old boy with a fractured lower leg, a St John Ambulance spokesman said yesterday.
More than 600 people participated in fundraising rides at the weekend, organised by the Lawrence Lions Club - 440 on Saturday and 220 yesterday.
About 12.27pm on Saturday, Lawrence St John Ambulance volunteers based at the event attended to the 12-year-old boy, who had fallen off his bike.
He was in pain and an Otago Regional Rescue Helicopter was requested by St John to transport him to Dunedin Hospital.
By the time the helicopter arrived, six other patients who had also fallen had presented for assessment and treatment, the spokesman said.
A second helicopter was requested about 1pm.
The woman with spinal and pelvic injuries was transported at 3.18pm and the other six in the second helicopter soon afterwards.
Those patients were the boy with the fractured leg, a 42-year-old man with a fractured wrist, a woman with a fractured wrist and three other patients with minor injuries the details of which were not available.
The spokesman said the six patients had been able to be transported sitting up and flying them all to Dunedin Hospital was the best use of the resources available.
It was not unusual for a helicopter to be dispatched for one patient and come back with more, he said, but it was unusual for seven patients to be transported from the same place within a short space of time.
Event organiser and Lawrence Lions Club member Jamie Benington said last night the event had been held for about eight years.
Saturday was the worst day for injuries since the event began, he said. Another person had broken a wrist later in the day, bringing the total injured that day to eight.
At the weekend, trails ranging in length from 5km to 42km, plus a "pee-wee" paddock, catered for all age groups and abilities, he said.
Seven separate accidents had happened about lunchtime, something he said was "a fluke".
"I am happy none of the accidents were related to the trails or how the event was organised."
One person was injured yesterday, he said.
