A 38-year-old man has been airlifted to hospital in Dundee after his leg was broken by a digger.
The man was understood to have suffered severe injuries during the incident, which took place at around 6pm on Wednesday at a construction site in River Street, Brechin.
The man, who is employed by Morrison Construction, was working on the Brechin Flood Protection Scheme. He is not local to the area.
A trauma team was called to the scene and the casualty was airlifted to Ninewells Hospital in Dundee.
Inquiries into the incident are now being carried out by the Health and Safety Executive.
A spokesman for the HSE said: “I can confirm we are aware of the incident and are making initial inquiries.”
Part of the digger was said to have fallen on top of the man, trapping his leg underneath.
A spokeswoman for the Scottish Charity Air Ambulance confirmed that the helicopter had been called to the incident.
She said: “We were able to land in a field near to where it happened and took a man to Ninewells Hospital.”
A Police Scotland spokesman said they received reports from the Scottish Ambulance Service that machinery had fallen on a 38-year-old man’s leg.
He said he could give no further details about the man’s condition.
Brechin resident Carrie Milne, 35, who lives nearby, said her husband, Barry, 34, witnessed the incident.
She said: “Barry was walking the dog when he saw the digger lying on top of the man.
“Barry said the guy’s injuries looked pretty bad with his leg stuck underneath the digger.”
A Morrison Construction spokeswoman said: “We can confirm that an incident occurred just before 6pm on Wednesday on the Brechin flood project. A Morrison employee sustained a leg injury and was taken to Ninewells Hospital, Dundee.
“The emergency services were informed of the incident immediately and attended. An investigation at the site is under way to establish the precise circumstances that led to the accident.
“Naturally, our concern and first thoughts are with our colleague.”