Central Otago District Council Rural Fire Authority officer Kenneth "Mac" McGarry was trapped in the driver's seat of an 8000-litre water tanker for almost two hours on Saturday morning, after the vehicle rolled down an embankment on private property near Alexandra.
Mr McGarry (49), of Alexandra, was driving the tanker in response to a fire callout to Letts Gully Rd just before 9am.
On discovering he had driven up the unsealed driveway at a wrong address, supplied to the fire service, he turned to make his way back down the hill.
Part of the driveway gave way under the tanker's weight, and as dirt cascaded down the bank, the tanker rolled.
It eventually came to a stop on its right side, trapping him.
"It's fairly obvious the road has given way and once that happened there was nothing the driver could do.
"My understanding from the passengers is that [Mr McGarry] did everything he could to help them hold on," Sergeant Ian Kerrisk, of Alexandra, said.
Fellow rural fire authority officers Nigel Greaves (39) and Jordan McGregor (16), both from Alexandra, were in the tanker when it rolled, but managed to free themselves.
Both received minor bruising and scratches and were treated by ambulance staff on the scene shortly after the incident.
They stayed on site to support Mr McGarry and help in his rescue.
About 15 members of the Alexandra Volunteer Fire Brigade were quickly on the scene, after confirming the fire for which services were called out initially was a permitted burn-off.
An Alexandra doctor was called to assess Mr McGarry, but could not get close enough to him.
Mr McGarry was conscious and talking during the incident, and did not appear to be in need of urgent medical attention, so he was left in the care of emergency services.
Two cranes and a helicopter from Dunedin were called to the site.
Firefighters used the jaws of life to cut into the tanker, removing parts of the roof and inside cab, including the steering wheel.
Mr McGarry was eventually freed at 11am and given immediate medical attention before being flown by helicopter to Dunedin Hospital for a scan and other medical checks.
He was released from hospital yesterday.
Sgt Kerrisk said although the rescue operation took about two hours, it was "textbook" in terms of the fire, police, and ambulance services working together as they had been trained.
"It was a slow rescue, as it needed to be," he said.
