Family and friends are now rallying around Charlie Lane and his mother, Emily, while the teenager faces surgery and an unknown length of stay in an unfamiliar North Island city.
Doctors have estimated the 13-year-old will be in a wheelchair for at least a year.
Family friend Julianne Morris said Charlie’s passion was skiing, and it was sad he was injured doing something he loved so much.
"He loves to ski," she said.
After the accident, Charlie was taken to Rotorua Hospital, but has since been transferred to Waikato Hospital in Hamilton.
"Emily and Charlie are not from Waikato and they don’t know a lot of people from around there — it’s such a terrible, terrible time and it’s made harder being so far from home."
Ms Morris has set up a Givealittle page to help the family.
"Emily is a single mum and she doesn’t have anybody else to help her ... and she never takes help from anybody."
Ms Lane recently bought her first home in Oamaru and they were in the North Island for a "tiki tour" when Charlie was injured.
Any funds raised would go towards supporting the family’s travel costs, household bills, daily expenses while away from home and making the home suitable for wheelchair use once back in Oamaru, Ms Morris said.
