A Bay of Plenty man is in hospital with critical injuries after being pinned under a tree.

Emergency services were called to the incident in the Easter Bay of Plenty around 7pm.

The Tauranga-based Trustpower TECT Rescue Helicopter was called in to airlift the man to hospital.

Pilot and base manager Liam Brettkelly says the 34-year-old man had been struck by a tree he was cutting down in Ruatoki.

'He received critical chest injuries as a result and was stabilised by St John medics before being flown to Tauranga Hospital for treatment.”