A young Balclutha girl who got her finger stuck in a drain grate yesterday was picked up, grate and all, and whisked off to an engineering firm to have her finger freed.
Emergency services were called to Warepa School about 1pm to help a girl who St John team manager Graeme Harvey said was "innocently poking around in a hole and went too far", getting her finger stuck fast in a "solid piece of steel plate".
Mr Harvey said the girl's finger was stuck in a hole between 10mm and 15mm in diameter, in a steel drain grate that was about 6mm thick.
"We had to take her to a place where we could get the finger out.
"We had to pick her up, plate and all, and take her to a local engineering facility."
It took about an hour to free the girl's finger.
Mr Harvey said the girl was not injured and was very brave during the ordeal.
• The Otago Regional Rescue Helicopter, Owaka Volunteer Fire Brigade and Balclutha police were called to an accident on Purakaunui Falls Rd yesterday when the driver of a campervan lost control in gravel.
Owaka Deputy Chief Fire Officer Kelly Chambers said the Owaka fire brigade was called at about 2.30pm after a campervan left the road, sliding 3m down a bank and into some trees.
Mr Chambers said the male tourist was out of the vehicle when emergency services arrived.
He was examined at the scene by ambulance staff before being flown to Dunedin Hospital.
Mr Chambers said he was unsure of what injuries the man had sustained.
No further details were available last night.
