Tree-shredder victim found by chance

A couple dropping off rubbish at a refuse transfer station discovered a worker trapped by his legs and arm in a tree-shredding machine after hearing his screams for help.

They alerted staff to the horrific scene and the machine was shut down.

A doctor amputated the three limbs while fire fighters dismantled the machine to free him.

He remained conscious throughout the hour-long effort.

The man, who has not been named, was yesterday in a serious condition in hospital.

"He is still in intensive care. He has made it this far and it looks quite good for his survival," said Sergeant Bruce Irvine of the New Plymouth police.

"It is a horrible thing to go through. For him to still be conscious [throughout the ordeal], but human beings are amazing things sometimes."

The man was operating the shredding machine at Manawatu Waste Ltd in New Plymouth when he became trapped just after lunchtime on Wednesday.

The Department of Labour and the waste company are carrying out investigations but it was not known yesterday how the man came to be in the industrial machine.

There were no witnesses to the accident, said Manawatu Waste general manager Ray Lambert.

The shredding machine was operated from a cab next to the hopper, where blades turned waste to compost, said Mr Lambert.

The waste was lifted by a crane and dropped into the hopper, which could take branches up to 5cm in diameter, he said.

The injured man had worked at the site for 18 months and had operated the machine in the past.

The man's wife and brother heard of the accident and arrived at the transfer station. They did not see him trapped but the man's wife spoke to him as he was taken to an ambulance.

Victim Support had been provided to the family and the couple who discovered the man, said Mr Irvine.

"They were emptying their trailer full of rubbish and heard him screaming and went and had a look and thought, 'Oh my God'.

"They whizzed off and got some other workers who came and shut the machine down."

Police rushed extra blood and oxygen to the scene, and also went to a local engineering company to ask for help in cutting open the machine.

Mr Irvine said a paramedic comforted the man and explained what the emergency services were doing to help him.