By Graeme Strachan

A CARNOUSTIE man who lost a foot after falling into a grain silo machine in Perthshire saved himself from even more serious injury by phoning for help.

Derek Kinmond (51), an electrician, used his mobile to ask a colleague to stop the power after getting his feet caught in the machine.

Mr Kinmond’s quick thinking—despite the pain he was suffering—is thought to have saved his right leg.

He also phoned his wife Lilian to tell her what had happened before he was taken to hospital.

The incident happened just after 3pm on Monday at Pauls Malt Ltd, Burrelton.

Firefighters used cutting equipment to release Mr Kinmond, working with Ninewells Hospital’s trauma team from Dundee. He was conscious but his condition deteriorated and he lost his foot.

Mr Kinmond went into surgery on Monday night at Ninewells Hospital, to have his left leg amputated below the knee and have a steel plate inserted in his right leg where the shin bone was broken in two places.

It took over six hours to literally piece his right leg back together.

Mr Kinmond’s wife and daughters Gemma (22) and Amy (19) were by his side when he came out of surgery after midnight. His condition is stable.

Mr Kinmond’s sister-in-law Anne Horsfall said yesterday, “He was trapped but had the presence of mind to make a call to somebody on the staff to turn the machine off or it could have been a lot worse.

“If he hadn’t done that God knows what might have happened. He also managed to phone his wife before he went to hospital.

“Firefighters cut him out and he was taken to Ninewells. His legs were quite mangled and he’d lost a lot of blood.

“He’s had to have his left leg amputated from below his knee. The shin bone on his right leg was broken in two places.

“Derek was in surgery a long time because there was a lot of work to be done.”

She said the family were understandably upset but were taking comfort from the fact that Mr Kinmond’s quick thinking saved his right leg and possibly his life.

Before going into surgery he told his family he was determined to bounce back after his amputation.

“He’s a very keen golfer,” his sister-in-law said.

“He even said he was still going to drive and play golf after surgery.”

The premises at Burrelton are a grain drying unit. Pauls Malt Ltd also owns Glenesk Malting near Montrose.

The incident is being investigated by the Health and Safety Executive.