A man was airlifted to hospital for emergency surgery after partially severing his hand in a freak industrial accident.

Peter Downs, 42, of Langham was working at Hood Yachts Spars in Wick Road, Burnham-on-Crouch, on Monday, when he fell from his lorry and was struck by a steel girder, which was being loaded.

A member of staff dialled 999 at 5.07pm and within minutes paramedics from Burnham were on the scene.

They put the man's hand in a specialist, padded splint and he was flown to Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford, where a micro-surgery team battled to save his hand from amputation.

A hospital spokesperson was unable to confirm whether the victim has lost his hand but said he was in a "satisfactory condition."

Paramedic David Hilton said: "When we arrived we were told the 42-year-old man had fallen off the lorry as a steel girder was being loaded, and the girder had then struck his wrist."

Due to the level of injury, getting hospital treatment quickly was vital so we called in the air ambulance.

Mr Downs owns his own company, specialising in the haulage of boats and marine equipment.

He had been contracted by Hood Yacht Spars to transport their masts when the accident had happened.

Published Thursday July 22, 2004

Brought to you by the Essex Chronicle