Young tradie plunges 10m down sewerage drain

An 18-year-old Melbourne concreter has been plucked to safety after being trapped inside a drain at a construction site.

Emergency services were called to the site on Dandenong Road, Mentone, about 8.30am.

Ben Robinson, 18, had been moving a grate over a sewerage drain when he plunged ten metres down the hole.

His panicked father, Davo, jumped in straight after his son.

“My mind just thought, ‘get down there as quick as we could’,” Mr Robinson told 9News.

“He was screaming at that point, just saying, ‘my leg’.”

Unable to move, the 18-year-old was trapped in the drain for 90 minutes as more than 20 firefighters scrambled to set up a specialist rig. A critical care paramedic and firefighter were then lowered down the drain to start the rescue.

“It was quite cold down there so we needed to keep him warm,” Steven Mulholland from Ambulance Victoria said.

After emerging from the drain, Ben was taken to The Alfred to undergo emergency surgery for broken bones.

“He’s doing fine, he’s had a bit of a laugh being Ben,” Mr Robinson said.

“The best outcome (from a) smelly situation.”

Worksafe Officers spent several hours at the site today and have now launched an official investigation. The probe will look at  whether any unsafe workplace practices may have been to blame.

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