A man has been rescued following frantic efforts to demolish a chimney which collapsed on his arm leaving him with serious injuries in Invercargill this morning.
A Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokesman confirmed they had received reports a man was trapped on Pomona St this morning.
A police spokesmanconfirmed they were called to Pomona St at 9.43am.
After they arrived firefighters began frantically smashing down a chimney on the roof in an effort to reach the trapped man.
By 11am the man, who was middle-aged, had been rescued and taken into care of ambulance staff.
Two fire appliances were in attendance on Pomona St Invercargill after reports a man was trapped after a chimney collapsed. Photo / Giordano Stolley
The man was conscious when he was loaded into a St John ambulance about 11am and transported to Southland Hospital.
St John said in a media alert the man suffered serious injuries.
Invercargill senior station officer Gordon Rodgers said the house was being renovated when the six metre chimney became unstable and fell on a contractor leaving him with a bloody injury.