Worker rescued after being buried up to waist at Upper Hutt water treatment plant

A person was buried up to the waist when the ground gave way under them at the Te Marua water treatment plant in Upper Hutt. Photo / Wellington Water

A worker is “safe and well” after being buried up to the waist when the ground gave way under them at the Te Marua water treatment plant in Upper Hutt.

The worker, from a construction site at the plant, was been taken to hospital in a moderate condition, a Wellington Free Ambulance spokeswoman confirmed.

Wellington Water chief executive Tonia Haskell said the worker was “at no point ‘trapped in a borehole’ or ‘trapped in a well’,” contrary to earlier reports from emergency services.

“Our initial investigation indicates they were standing beside a piling excavation on level ground. The ground gave way covering the worker up to their waist,” Haskell said.

“We want to thank the emergency services for helping us to extract the worker and make sure they are safe and well.”

Fire and Emergency NZ (Fenz) said they were called to the treatment plant about 9.30am and the person was freed by about 10.15am.

A Fenz shift manager earlier said they were at the Te Marua plant this morning, liaising with staff and “working on a plan”.

The Te Marua water treatment plant is described as a critical infrastructure asset to the Wellington region.

It provides up to 80 million litres of drinking water a day, nearly half the region’s drinking water demand.

The plant is being upgraded to increase the amount of water it provides and to improve the plant’s ability to remove algae, sediment and odour from the water.

The upgrade started in February, with major component upgrades beginning in April. This included piling for a pad that will eventually hold a new carbon dioxide storage tank.

A paramedic leaves the Te Marua water treatment plant in Upper Hutt. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Wellington Water spokeswoman Sophie Holland confirmed the worker was “safe and well” and has gone home without any serious injuries.

“We have people onsite to support the other workers. We will continue to check in on the worker to make sure they’re feeling okay.

“WorkSafe has been notified and an incident investigation is underway. We are unable to give any further details of this incident.”

WorkSafe said they had been notified of the incident and were making initial inquiries.

Melissa Nightingale is a Wellington-based reporter who covers crime, justice and news in the capital. She joined the Herald in 2016 and has worked as a journalist for 10 years.