Great Barrier Island. (File photo) Photo: RNZ/Carol Stiles
Two young boys are in critical condition after being trapped under a collapsed sand dune on Great Barrier Island.
Auckland Westpac Helicopters transported the pair to Starship Hospital at around 4.30pm.
An afternoon on the beach turned to disaster when a dune collapsed and buried them.
A rescue helicopter spokesperson said one boy is in his teens, and the other is younger.
"Our thoughts are with them and their families," he said.
The New Zealand Herald reported that Greater Barrier Local Board chairperson Izzy Fordham said it was a "horrid time".