Quarry searchers reach collapsed cab
Murray George Taylor’s excavator cab sustained ‘‘catastrophic collapse’’, rescuers discovered after shifting 750 tonnes of rubble that buried the Canterbury quarry boss.
Police were last night hopeful of returning the 56-year-old to his devastated family, who watched on yesterday as excavators, bulldozers and winching equipment were used to remove the debris that collapsed on to his excavator on Monday morning.
The instability of the rock face stalled search efforts on Monday but a geotechnical survey of the site yesterday allowed authorities to begin the recovery operation.
Family members went to the quarry, on Limeworks Rd near Waikari in North Canterbury, early yesterday as tributes flowed for Taylor, who was believed dead.
They walked hand-in-hand to the edge of the quarry, overlooking the rescue efforts. A hearse arrived shortly after noon.
A statement released by the Taylor family described their ‘‘wait in anticipation’’.
‘‘Murray left for work as usual yesterday to do a job he thoroughly enjoyed. Murray is a much-loved husband, father, son, brother, uncle and friend,’’ it said.
By 2.30pm, Inspector Corrie Parnell said 750 tonnes of limestone and debris had been removed from the area in which the digger was buried and crews had ‘‘reached the top of the excavator cab area’’.
Searchers found the cab had sustained ‘‘catastrophic collapse’’, he said.
After exposing the excavator, Parnell was hopeful of returning Taylor’s body to his family last night.
Taylor was the owner of Heathstock Haulage, which held a lease for the Hurunui District Council-owned land.
Also an ostrich breeder and a director of companies including Flyknight Holdings and Ad Fit NZ, Taylor lived near Balcairn in rural North Canterbury.
According to the Civil Aviation Authority, Taylor was part of the Canterbury Recreational Aircraft Club.
A former acquaintance of Taylor’s, who asked not to be named, said he was a ‘‘gentleman’’.
The man had picked up a con- tract with the Hurunui District Council earlier in his career and met Taylor when he needed access to the Waikari landfill, through the limeworks.
‘‘He was just an energetic good bugger that was just trying to make things happen in life.
‘‘[He was] an extremely good businessman.’’
A man who previously worked for Taylor paid tribute to his former boss as a ‘‘fantastic’’ man.
‘‘I had 10 good years with the company and Murray was a fantastic and dynamic man. He was very much a thinker outside of the box,’’ he said.
WorkSafe NZ has since ordered a prohibition notice halting all quarrying work on the site.
‘‘There is no access to the site other than that associated with the official recovery operation. We have staff on site providing specialist technical advice and are assisting and ensuring that any activity on the site now is safe,’’ spokesman Tony Forster said.
Hurunui District Mayor Winton Dalley said he visited the quarry on Monday night to offer assistance, but said the situation was in the police’s hands. Deputy Mayor Marie Black had visited Taylor’s wife Jill Taylor yesterday.
‘‘We clearly send our condolences to the family, it’s a terrible time for them. It’s a small community and these people were well-known in the community . . . we are in shock and disbelief,’’ Dalley said.
The Mining and Quarry Industry group’s health and safety body said yesterday quarries should run under the same regulations as other mining sites.
Mining and Quarry Industry had long argued moves to include the quarry sector under the 2013 Mining Regulations should happen now and not be left for a second phase of the process.
About 95 per cent of mining’s health and safety reforms since Pike River had been well accepted but government agencies had been slow to act in other areas, including quarrying, it said.
Health and safety laws in mining were strengthened in 2013 after recommendations of the Royal Commission into the Pike River mine disaster. However, after lobbying from industry, the Government exempted quarries from protections of the new law.
On Monday, Prime Minister John Key signalled tighter safety guidelines were in the pipeline for quarry operations, saying the Government needed to keep working with the industry.