Warning: this story contains an image that may be distressing to some people.
A Kaitangata man who was taken to hospital after doing a wheelie on his motorcycle in gumboots is advising other riders to wrap up in the proper riding gear.
Kaitangata resident Mac McCrostie said he was on a "chill-out" ride on Sunday afternoon.
After exiting a forestry block, he pulled a wheelie in Lakeside Rd.
When he put the front wheel down he felt it slide and then he fell from his bike and "skidded across the tarseal for ages".
The resulting hole in his knee was so deep he said he could see the bone.
There were also burns on his body from the road seal, grazes on his arm and he was missing a chunk of a finger.
His bike received a few scratches, too.
His message for her was: "Thank you for helping me through that crash and everything".
Following phone directions from St John, she had helped stem the bleeding by improvising a tourniquet.
"The ambulance people [said] to put pressure around, so she took off her top and wrapped it around my leg," Mr McCrostie said.
He had been wearing just gumboots and moleskin trousers at the time and his advice to other riders was to wear motorcycle pants, boots and gloves when they were out on a motorcycle.
A Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokesman said crews from Balclutha and Kaitangata stations responded to Mr McCrostie’s crash and assisted St John at the scene before departing about 3.55pm.
A St John spokeswoman said an ambulance and a first response unit were sent and transported Mr McCrostie to Dunedin Hospital in a moderate condition.
