Man crushed after machinery falls from ute

Photo / Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust

A man has been seriously injured after a piece of machinery fell out of the back of a ute, crushing him underneath it.

The man, in his 60s, was in the back of the ute attempting to steady a 500kg lathe machine when the incident happened at Orere Point yesterday morning.

The machine had just been repaired and was being transported on the back of the ute when the trailer hit a bump in the road and flipped, the Auckland Westpac Rescue Helicopter said.

The man was thrown out of the ute, and the lathe and trailer landed on top of him.

Emergency services were called, and when the chopper crew arrived, they found the machine had been lifted from the man, and he was "laying on his side in severe pain".

"He was given heavy pain relief and a pelvic splint applied before being transported to Auckland City Hospital in a Status 2 [serious] condition," a Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust spokeswoman said.

"He is currently stable but suffering serious pelvic injuries and an ankle fracture."

* Watch the Westpac Rescue Helicopter crew in action on Code:1 on TV2 at 8pm on Thursday.