An East Gippsland man seriously injured in an industrial accident north-west of Hamilton remains in hospital in a critical condition.
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The 33-year-old was flown to Melbourne's Alfred Hospital after a 20 tonne log loader he was driving rolled down a hill at a blue gum plantation on the Chetwynd - Nareen Road at Nareen about 3.30pm on Thursday.
Hamilton police Sergeant Rex Habel said the man suffered life threatening injuries.
He said WorkSafe conducted preliminary investigations on Thursday night and would return to the scene with members of the Hamilton crime investigation unit on Friday morning.
Police said the man was working on a hill when the log loader fell down a steep gully, trapping him inside.
CFA, SES, ambulance and police crews attended the scene.
Police said it was a delicate operation to rescue the man, who was unconscious.
He was freed about two hours later and flown to hospital about 6.50pm.
A spokeswoman for The Alfred Hospital said the man was still in a critical condition on Friday morning.
Earlier, Thursday 10pm:
A Hamilton worker has been flown to a Melbourne hospital after an industrial accident at a logging coup on Thursday afternoon.
Hamilton police Sergeant Mark Phillips said the incident occurred at a blue gum plantation on the Chetwynd - Nareen Road at Nareen, about 70 kilometres north-west of Hamilton.
"He was logging on a hill and the machine, for some reason, has gone backwards for 100 metres or so, into a very deep riverbed/ creek, trapping the driver, with 20 tonne of machine and logs, that's rolled down the hill," Sergeant Phillips said.
Police got the call about 3.30pm and he said it was a delicate operation to rescue the 33-year-old man, who was unconscious.
"When you opened the door of the cabin there was quite a drop off into the creek so the CFA set up a gang plank. It was tricky to set that up and get across from the bank across to the machine."
He said CFA, SES, ambulance and police crews attended and the air ambulance left the scene about 6.50pm. "It took a couple of hours to get him out and he was airlifted to Melbourne."
Sergeant Phillips said WorkSafe and detectives were investigating.
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