UPDATED 10.02AM: A man is recovering in hospital after being wounded by a thrashing shark in the Coromandel.

Westpac Rescue Helicopter was called to Tairua yesterday after the man, in his 30s, was bitten by a 1.5m Mako shark he had caught.

Westpac Rescue Helicopter advanced paramedic Bruce Kerr said the man had dragged the metre-and-a-half Mako shark on board and left it, thinking it was dead.

"He was actually in the proces of gutting the shark and it suddenly started thrashing around and its teeth connected with his right foot so he had quite nasty laceration wounds," Kerr said.

Despite the deep lacerations, which medics were concerned might threaten tendons, nerves and ligaments, the man was in good spirits when they flew him to Middlemore Hospital.