One seriously hurt after falling into Leith

A man was taken to hospital in a serious condition after falling into the Water of Leith amidst a night of student shenanigans involving a burning couch.

A St John spokeswoman was notified of a fall incident in North Dunedin about 9.45pm yesterday.

One ambulance and one rapid response vehicle attended and the person involved was taken to Dunedin Hospital with serious injuries, she said.

A police spokeswoman said the person had slipped and fallen into the Leith near the intersection of Duke St and Castle St North.

While not in deep water, he was unable to get out.

The man was retrieved from the water about 10.30pm, she said.

A Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokeswoman said two crews from Dunedin City and Willowbank Stations assisted with extrication.

One crew from Dunedin City Station attended a ‘‘bonfire’’ on Castle St about 10pm which it extinguished with a hose reel.

On Sunday morning the charred remains of a couch could be seen in the front yard a notorious party-flat at 617 Castle St North, better known as ‘Deathstar’.

The surrounding streets were strewn with broken glass and rubbish.

One Castle St resident who saw the couch fire rated it 8.5/10 and said he had seen better fires.

The couch fire follows one which occurred in the same location on St Patrick’s Day and another last Saturday  in Logan Park Dr about 9.15pm.