Man rescued after falling down shaft on Broadbeach worksite

“He was just very grateful for everyone assisting him and actually getting him out there. He’d been in there for quite a while, maybe from 9.30 last night.”

AN INVESTIGATION is underway after a man fell down a shaft on a Gold Coast construction site late Friday night, waiting hours to be rescued.

The man was taken to hospital suffering hand and back injuries after the fall.

Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) acting operations supervisor Liam Kingsbury said paramedics were called to the Casino Dr, Broadbeach worksite about 6.30am.

They found a Gold Coast man aged in his 20s, who was not a site worker, stuck in the shaft.

“We arrived on scene to find a very difficult extrication. We had to enlist the help of QFES (Queensland Fire and Emergency Services) … they were able to gain access to the patient for us,” Mr Kingsbury said.

Emergency services and the man at the construction site.

“Once they were able to extricate him from the shaft, which was about eight or nine metres long, we were able to gain access and assess him.

“He had some thoracic back pain in the middle of his back, some bruising there, what looked like a fractured right hand, some swelling there as well.”

Mr Kingsbury said the injured man was “in quite good spirits” despite his ordeal, which occurred at the worksite of The Star’s $400 million Dorsett Hotel tower project.

The man being extracted from the shaft at the site.

“He was conscious, talking to us, interacting quite well,” he said.

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“He was very, very lucky and we were very grateful to QFES for being able to extricate him for us. He was just very grateful for everyone assisting him and actually getting him out there. “He’d been in there for quite a while, maybe from 9.30 last night.”

The man being loaded on a stretcher at the construction site.

Mr Kingsbury said it was thought “someone from a balcony has heard him call out for help and eventually called triple-0”.

The company responsible for the site, Hutchinson Builders, confirmed they are investigating the incident.

A spokesman said: “An investigation is underway and we’re working closely with all parties.

“Further measures to prevent unauthorised acess where reasonably practicable are being considered.”

The Star Gold Coast has confirmed the man had not been inside any of their venues prior to the fall.

A QFES spokesman said crews extracted the man who “fell down an airconditioning shaft”.

Paramedics took the man to Robina Hospital in a stable condition after the fall.

High acuity and critical care paramedics were tasked to the rescue.

Queensland Police believe the man was under the influence of alcohol and perhaps drugs.

Investigations were underway and trespassing charges were a possibility.