Help, the house is on top of me: husband phones wife when two ton concrete block crushes him

A man has had a miraculous escape after a two ton block of concrete crushed him as he carried out DIY in his garden.
Paul Colletta's legs and feet were pinned down by the block of concrete as he dug a trench for an extension to the conservatory at his home in Ryde on the Isle of Wight.
He had chosen to work on the project to save money, but he suffered the injuries when the concrete that formed the foundations for the old conservatory became dislodged and fell on him.
Miraculously Paul suffered no broken bones in the accident.

The accident took place last weekend as Paul carried out the work while his partner Liz Kingston was out of the house.
He even called her to tell her that things were not going to plan after the block had slipped, rather than phoning for an ambulance.
His partner immediately returned home, but neighbours who had heard Paul's cries for help had already dialled 999.
Firefighters worked for 40 minutes to rescue him using airbags and specialist equipment to dislodge the block.
Ambulance workers then took the 46-year-old to St Mary's Hospital in Newport, the Island's county town.
Speaking following his ordeal at the house in Ryde, Paul said: 'I could have died and I am very lucky that I'm still here.
'I had thought at the time that it looked dodgy but I carried on digging - next time I will listen to myself.' 

His partner Liz said: 'Paul and I are both relieved that he is OK. I can't bear to think about what could have happened.
'It was quite an ordeal - Paul even asked a neighbour to take pictures of him trapped so he would have something to remember it.'
'I was in town when I got a call from Paul - he simply said concrete had fallen on him.
'At the time I didn't realise how serious it was because he seemed so calm.
'It was only later it dawned on me that he meant the huge two-ton block, which made up the foundation of the conservatory.
'I drove home as quickly as I could but when I got there fire engines and an ambulance had already arrived.
'When I saw him I just thought "oh my god." It looked awful.
'Paul was conscious throughout. He must have been in a great deal of pain but he didn't show it.'
Following the rescue, Paul spent three days in St Mary's before he was discharged on Tuesday morning.
Although the X-rays showed no broken bones he did suffer a small amount of internal bleeding from an adrenal gland.

Doctors were also concerned about compartment syndrome, where muscles and tissues are at risk of dying after the blood supply is cut off.
Paul will return to hospital for a check-up but, for now, he is recovering at home with Liz and her two sons, Stephen, 12, and Matthew, nine.
Liz said: 'It was incredible that Paul didn't break anything, I think it's because he is quite well built up on top.
'He used to be a weightlifter and I think that's what saved him.'



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