A 24-year-old mechanic from Ernest Doe and Sons was crushed underneath a digger arm.

The accident happened while he was working on the machine with other staff. It was being checked over at the plant machinery firm, at Doe's Corner in Ulting, near Maldon.

A digger bucket, weighing more than a ton, was attached to the arm, bringing the weight to an estimated three tons, as it fell towards him just after 5pm yesterday.

"For some unknown reason, the bucket and the whole hydraulic arm came on top of the man," said an Essex Fire and Rescue Service spokesman.

It hit another piece of machinery on its way down, breaking the fall, and then landed on the man.

Fire crews from Maldon, Colchester and Chelmsford were called to the scene with specialist equipment, but staff had already managed to lever the weight off his body and pull him from under it.

Ambulance staff confirmed he had suffered serious spinal injuries. The man was taken to Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford, where he was still being closely monitored.

The accident is being reported to the Health and Safety Executive. Staff at Ernest Doe were unavailable for comment.

Published Tuesday, February 19, 2002