Hawke's Bay man crushed by cattle

A 40-year-old truck driver from Waipukurau lies in a serious condition after being charged by a cattle beast in Elsthorpe yesterday afternoon.

Nigel Potter received injuries to his neck, pelvis, spine, chest and abdomen when a cattle beast he was trying to load into a truck, charged and stomped on him.

Senior fire fighter from Otane Fire Brigade Jack Ritchie attended the scene and said Mr Potter managed to get up and jump the stock fence after being stomped, before he collapsed on the ground.

"He got mowed down and stomped all over, but he managed to jump the fence, probably had the adrenalin pumping ... When we arrived he was semi conscious and going into shock."

Mr Ritchie said Mr Potter blacked out at one stage, but came to on his own accord before a defibrillator was used.

The incident happened shortly after 4pm, and Mr Ritchie estimated he was on the ground for approximately 30 minutes before being spotted by a passing motorist on the corner of St Lawrence Rd and Elsthorpe Rd who raised the alarm.

"He was very lucky someone found him as it was coming into dark and he was going into shock and he could've got hypothermia. He was in a lot of pain, I can tell you," Mr Ritchie said.

His wife Larissa Potter spoke to her husband last night at the hospital and she too felt he was lucky to have been seen.

"He was right near the road, and lying in long grass. He could see and hear the cars go past."

She said he didn't say much last night, "other than the bull ran him over", but he seemed to be in good spirits.

Mr Potter was well known for his building work with Potters Building & Painting in Waipukurau, but had taken a couple of months off to drive trucks. Mrs Potter said he had been driving trucks for the last 20 years and had experience loading farm animals.

St John ambulances from Hastings and Waipukurau attended the scene, followed later by the Lowe Corporation Rescue Helicopter, which transported him to Hawke's Bay Hospital.