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A pit of alright

A digger driver survives a 65ft fall into a rubbish pit after landing on soft cardboard

It took firefighters three hours to free the pit driver from his vehicle

A DIGGER operator drove over the edge of a 65ft rubbish pit but ­survived when he landed on soft cardboard.

Firefighters took three hours to free the man from the vehicle.

 The digger operator was treated for injuries at the scene after falling 65ft
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The digger operator was treated for injuries at the scene after falling 65ftCredit: SWNS:South West News Service

The tip worker was treated at the scene for arm and neck injuries then taken hospital.

Firefighters were shocked by what they saw when they arrived.

They later posted a picture of the digger, so mangled it looked like a model.

They joked on their Twitter feed: “This is not a Tonka toy.”

 

 Firefighters took three hours to free the man from the vehicle
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Firefighters took three hours to free the man from the vehicleCredit: SWNS:South West News Service

An ambulance service spokesman said: “Paramedics worked closely with the fire service’s technical rescue team.”

They also said “difficulties of the location” had hampered their efforts.

A council spokesperson in Coventry where the accident happened said: “We are aware that there was an incident at the Waste to Energy plant involving an employee working there.

"We are co-operating fully with the emergency services as well as the Health and Safety Executive.

They said it was away from public areas of the tip, which stayed open.