‘Heroes’ praised for helping man trapped under cherry picker

12:20pm Tuesday 15th July 2008

By Helen Gabriel

A WORKMAN was seriously injured when a cherry picker collapsed on top of him in Selby.

Firefighters have commended the actions of 30 people who rushed to his aid and managed to lift the heavy machine off him.

The man suffered serious leg and head injuries when the cherry picker collapsed, trapping him beneath it, in the car park of Pymble sheltered accommodation and retirement housing, in Flaxley Road in the town.

The Health And Safety Executive (HSE) is now carrying out an investigation into the incident, which happened at about 1pm yesterday.

Police, firefighters and paramedics were all called to the scene, where the Gazelle Access cherry picker remained last night.

A North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said the injured man had already been freed by members of the public and fellow workmen by the time firefighters arrived.

He said: “A man had been released by passers-by and some other contractors before the arrival of the fire brigade.

“It was an example of really good public spirit in that about 30 people nearby actually lifted this machine off him.”

Paramedics and firefighters worked together to administer first aid to the victim, and police and firefighters also sealed off the area.

North Yorkshire Police said the man had sustained serious leg injuries, but that they were “not life threatening”.

He was taken to York Hospital by ambulance, according to a Yorkshire Ambulance Service spokesman, who said he had also suffered head injuries.

A spokesman for the Anchor Trust, which runs Pymble sheltered housing, said: “Our thoughts are with the workman and his family at this difficult time. The scheme manager didn’t witness the accident but promptly called the emergency services when she was alerted as to what had happened.

“An HSE investigation has now begun to establish the cause of the accident.”

The man was part of a team who had been contracted to paint the outside of the Pymble building. He was standing next to the cherry picker, using some controls on the side of the machine to move it on its caterpillar-style base, when it toppled over and landed on him.

A spokeswoman for the HSE said an inspector had visited the site of the incident yesterday and investigations were continuing. She said she was unable to make any further comment about what had happened until their inquiries were complete.

Firefighters were also called to an incident involving a cherry picker in Harrogate yesterday.

Two men were left stranded in the air on the machine in Coppice Drive when the safety switch kicked in unexpectedly. Fire crews were lowering them to safety when the power kicked back in.