[PIETERMARITZBURG – 10 OCTOBER 2011 AT 08H30]
A factory worker believed to be in his early 30’s is in a serious but stable condition after falling about 15m inside a factory just outside Pietermaritzburg this morning.
ER24 paramedics were called to the scene and were shown where the man was lying. The patient was assessed and found that he was in a lot of pain and had suffered a possible broken shoulder, broken fingers and even possible injury to his neck and back. Advanced Life Support intervention had to be performed on the patient before they could even consider moving him.
While he was being stabilised further, the SAPS Search and Rescue and the local Fire Department were called to the scene to help set up a high angle rescue system to help get the patient out of the area that he was lying in, as he could not be carried out normally. Once out he was placed in the waiting ambulance and transported to Mediclinic Pietermaritzburg in a serious but stable condition.
The circumstances around the worker falling are unclear but the local authorities and the factory safety officers will investigate the accident further.
Derrick Banks, ER24