Man describes moment he leapt into action to free injured worker trapped under wall

The brick wall which collapsed onto a workman. Picture. Abigail Nicholson (Image: Archant)

Robert Dixon was walking along Mill Road, Cobholm, cradling a coffee on his way into town when he heard a loud crash followed by a cloud of brick dust.

The 32-year-old initially thought it was a digger releasing its load but was himself nudged by a bowing hoarding as the wall behind it collapsed.

He made a split decision to investigate further and saw a man covered in blood and pinned by a steel pipe and a pile of bricks in half-sitting position.

Fearing the man could be seriously hurt he told him not to move and carefully removed the bricks on top without moving the ones that could have caused further slippage.

The brick wall which collapsed onto a workman. Picture. Abigail Nicholson (Image: Archant)

'I just thought 'What was that?'. I looked round the corner and saw this big pile of bricks and a guy buried underneath. I jumped on them and started pulling all the bricks off and rang the ambulance.

'I could see there was a graze on his head and quite a lot of blood and there was some steel tubing and he was half sitting up and half lying down.

'He was alert and talking but seemed to be in a lot of pain. I did not think about, I just did it. One of the other workers started helping and a minute later another one came.

'I phoned the ambulance and was telling him not to worry and its on its way.

'He wasn't screaming but he looked like he was in a lot of pain.

'My adrenaline was going and it carried on for a while after.

'You never know what you are going to do in that situation. It was like flicking a switch. I knew exactly what to do.

'I was lifting the bricks carefully but not from underneath him because it could have collapse more. You know this stuff already but until it happens you do not know what you are going to do.'

Later, Mr Dixon who lives with his partner Shanice Day, 24, and her two children, checked on the condition of the injured worker with other people at the site who said he was back at home and doing well.

The ten apartments being built on the site are taking shape under the government's help to buy scheme and will be completed by the second half of next year.