Buried worker rescued from silo

The worker, who did not give his name, emerged from the silo caked in cement dirt. Picture / Otago Daily Times

A workman buried alive in cement in Dunedin yesterday has survived his harrowing experience with only minor injuries.

He had to breathe through a lifeline to an air compressor for 40 minutes until a fireman found him.

"He's an extremely lucky man ... we were prepared for the worst," Senior Station Officer incident commander Lindsay Rae said last night.

The incident began when three men carrying out maintenance at the Holcim cement works lost radio contact with their colleague, who was inside a 27m tall cement silo, about 3.30pm.

The missing man was wearing a harness and breathing apparatus connected to an air compressor outside.

Workers peered inside but the volume of dust rising from the 450 tonnes of cement it held meant they could not see him.

Emergency services were called about 4pm, and four fire trucks, two ambulances and police attended.

Mr Rae believed the worker became trapped when cement at the bottom of the silo settled, and he had to be dug free.

Firefighter Blair Homan was lifted to the top of the silo about 4.10pm and abseiled inside to rescue the trapped worker.

Visibility was nil and Mr Homan was forced to locate the worker by touch, following an airline attached to his breathing apparatus downward.

Thermal imaging equipment was used as well.

"About three-quarters of the way down I could hear him, but I couldn't see him," Mr Homan said after the rescue.

"He was trying to get himself out and the more he did, the more the cement came back on him.

"When I got close, he gripped my hand like nothing else."

The dust-caked survivor managed to stand as the aerial unit lowered him to the ground and he walked to a waiting ambulance, which took him to Dunedin Hospital about 5.30pm.

A St John Ambulance spokeswoman said he had sustained minor injuries.

The worker declined through hospital authorities to speak to the media and asked that no information be released.

- OTAGO DAILY TIMES