Fife dad, 25, buried alive in concrete suffers life-changing injuries
Jordan Mackenzie spent 17-days in a coma
Last updated 21st Dec 2023
A man is recovering from life-changing injuries after he was trapped in freshly poured concrete for 30 minutes.
Jordan Mackenzie was helping pour concrete in a block of flats when a ceiling above him gave way, covering him in the quick-drying mix and rubble.
The 25-year-old grounds worker from Crossgates, Fife, suffered multiple bone fractures and chemical burns and was only found after a colleague spotted his foot in the debris.
The father-of-one is recovering in hospital but is positive about the future and is looking forward to spending time with his family at Christmas.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is investigating the incident, which happened at around 9am on Wednesday July 19 at the former Bowhill Miners' Institute on Main Street, Cardenden, Fife, which was being redeveloped into flats.
Workers were pouring concrete on to the first floor when Mr Mackenzie was tasked with going downstairs and checking for any leaks or other problems.
Moments after entering the area the ceiling above him collapsed, encasing him in concrete.
"I was trapped under everything - the concrete came down along with the steel and knocked me to the ground and everything landed on top of me," he said.
"With the sheer weight of it all I could feel myself struggling to move.
"I was in a lot of pain almost immediately but then with adrenaline and everything it wasn't long before all I felt was total panic."
Emergency crews attended the scene but Mr Mackenzie faced an agonising wait to be freed as firefighters feared the rest of the structure could collapse.
"I was stuck for about 30 minutes. It was terrifying," he said.
"I have vague flashbacks of what happened as I was drifting in and out of consciousness.
"One thing I'll never forget was the moment one worker there managed to pull my head above the concrete and clean my face so I could breathe - I genuinely believe his actions saved my life."
After he was removed from the concrete he was taken to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, where he spent 17 days in an induced coma.
Medics feared he would not survive but Mr Mackenzie - a former amateur footballer with Cowdenbeath United - managed to pull through.
He then spent 12 days at the ITU burns unit at St John's Hospital in Livingston before being transferred to Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy.
He is now an inpatient at Queen Margaret Hospital in Dunfermline, where he is looking forward to seeing his family over Christmas after fears he might lose his sight through the incident.
"I suffered bad burns to my arms and leg which required skin grafts. My eyes were also badly burned by the chemicals in the concrete and doctors tell me I am very lucky to still have my sight," he said.
"I had cuts and fractures all over my body - my face, ribs, femur, shoulder, pelvis and spine - so I needed a lot of surgery for that too.
"It's been a painful and stressful recovery mentally and physically, but I'm getting there despite some injuries being life-changing.
"Right now I just want to focus on my recovery and see my loved ones over Christmas and start to look forward again."
A spokesperson for Dunfermline-based Campion Homes, the company behind the redevelopment at Cardenden, said: "Campion Homes is a family business, with an excellent health and safety record for over 30 years, so this incident and Jordan's recovery is a matter of absolute priority for us.
"Whilst this is a very isolated incident, the health and safety of our employees is always our first priority. We have been providing support to Jordan and his family since the incident and will continue to do so. We continue to assist the HSE in their investigation."
Innes Laing, partner at Digby Brown Solicitors in Kirkcaldy, is helping Mr Mackenzie and his family assist the HSE investigation.
A HSE spokesperson said: "We are continuing to investigate this incident."