Man rescued by Kiwi heroes still fighting for his life

These men lifted the ute off the crushed motorist. From left, Robert Leilua, Tee Kefu, Amine Kay, Anaru Manu, Blake Kefu, Mafi Kefu, Matt Hapeta, Ralph Williams and Wayne Faapito. Photo / Courier Mail

A man rescued from under his ute by a group of New Zealand builders after a crash on a Queensland highway continues to fight for his life in a Brisbane hospital.

John Williams remains in a critical but stable condition in the intensive care unit of the Princess Alexandra Hospital, a spokeswoman said this morning.

The 60-year-old almost died on the side of the Warrego Highway near Roma, west of Brisbane, before a convoy of Kiwi workmen came upon the crash earlier this month.

The nine New Zealanders, mostly from Auckland, directed traffic around the crash scene and lifted the ute off Mr Williams, who suffered broken ribs, bleeding on the brain, a punctured lung and severe burns to his shoulder, neck and face.

He had been moving furniture from his home in central Queensland when his ute lurched in one direction before he appeared to overcorrect, his wife Darline said.

The ute rolled "about six times'', tossing Mr Williams from the cabin and coming to a stop on its wheels in a ditch.

Mrs Williams has praised the Kiwi rescuers.

"If they had not shown up when they did, my husband would not have lived,'' she said.

"As soon as I saw them coming down the hill to the ute, I thought, 'Oh my God, I know these guys can lift this.' I just kept saying, `My husband's under the ute, please, please get him out.'

"They deserve an award for it because they were the only people who stopped and ... if they hadn't stopped and done what they did, John would not have made it.''