20 Jan 2010

Worker killed in forestry accident

3:07 pm on 20 January 2010

A 34-year-old forestry worker has been killed in a logging accident in Marlborough.

The man was pinned under a tree at a logging site in Robin Hood Bay, Port Underwood, about 20 kilometres from Blenheim.

Emergency services tried to free him, and a rescue helicopter was sent from Nelson at about 10am on Wednesday, but the man died at the scene.

Police say a family was caused undue distress when an unauthorised person monitoring the police radio told them incorrectly that their family member had died.

This tied up police and victim support services in a chain of events that diverted them from more pressing duties relating to the accident, police say.