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The farmer whose hand was trapped in tractor hydraulics for more than a day has taken a turn for the worse.
Pete Botica is back in intensive care at Auckland City Hospital after his condition deteriorated yesterday morning, his sister Joanne Botica said.
Mr Botica, a sharemilker at Taporo, near Wellsford, spent 27 hours trapped half-standing, half-crouching and jammed against other equipment before being found by a neighbour.
He had been adjusting a valve on the tractor but knocked something that made the hydraulics move and the clamps came up and jammed his hand.
Ms Botica said he had stabilised but the family still feared he could lose his hand. "He's got his colour back, and the swelling has gone down."
Mr Botica had an emotional reunion with his son, whom he had not seen since his accident. Ms Botica said it was upsetting for her nephew to see his father so ill but the family were coping much better than they had earlier in the day.
She said that when they saw Mr Botica yesterday morning he was struggling to breathe and was becoming septic.
"He'll be in intensive care a while, at least over the weekend. The doctors there are amazing ... We're just so grateful he's getting stable. At least we can have a conversation with him and there's a bit of a smile on his face."
