A 44-year-old man was hospitalized with serious injuries after a motor weighing more than 4,000 pounds crashed down on his lower body at a work site on Tuesday night.
Halifax regional fire division commander Brad Connors said firefighters and police were called to the old Citadel hotel on Brunswick Street at about 7:30 p.m. He said workers were putting a piece of equipment in place when a motor fell off a construction elevator and onto the man.
“He was pinned between two pieces of machinery,” Connors said.
“I think the motor weighs something like 4,200 pounds,” he added.
It took a dozen firefighters and rescue equipment to get the motor off the man, who saw his lower body crushed. Connors said paramedics treated the victim while the rescue took place.
After being freed, the man was rushed to hospital. Connors said he was in stable condition when he left.
“He’s definitely got some serious injuries,” he said.
Halifax Regional Police Staff Sgt. Reid McCoombs said police interviewed several people on site and then gave the file over to the province’s department of labour.
“It’s a fairly serious accident,” McCoombs said. “We don’t go to too many of these.”
Chrissie Matheson, a spokesperson with the department of labour, said occupational health and safety staff was on site investigating the accident Tuesday night. She also said more information could be provided on Wednesday.
“No further details are known at this time about his condition,” Matheson said via email.
SilverBirch Hotels and Resorts is partnering with the international hotel chain Hilton to build two new hotels on the old Citadel hotel site.
The hotels – Homewood Suites and Hampton – are scheduled to be complete in the spring of 2014.
Work at the construction site has been shutdown as the investigation continues. — Metro Halifax
