Trapped in wreckage

Excavator operator fell 15 meters to his death while working

The helpers were called to a wooded area, the worker was trapped and fatally injured.

(Bild: Lauber/laumat.at Matthias)

Tragic accident on Tuesday afternoon in Niederthalheim. At 11.35 a.m., four fire departments were called to an operation in a wooded area. The alert was "Person trapped". When the emergency services arrived, however, the full drama became apparent. 

An excavator operator had fallen around 15 meters down a steep embankment with his vehicle while clearing up wind damage. The 67-year-old from Atzbach was trapped in the driver's cab after the accident. Work colleagues immediately provided first aid to the fallen man and also informed the emergency services.

Many of the emergency services knew the victim
"We then set about freeing the person. However, the emergency doctor was only able to determine that he was dead," explains Erich Neudorfer, commander of the Niederthalheim fire department. The operation was particularly challenging for the volunteers, as many of them knew the victim and the family business.

(Bild: Lauber/laumat.at Matthias)

Crisis intervention team on site
The Red Cross crisis intervention team had to take care of their shocked colleagues. Relatives of the excavator driver were reportedly not present at the time of the tragedy. The police are still investigating how the fatal crash could have happened.