A 60-year-old man was airlifted to hospital today with serious chest injuries after a piece of scaffolding pierced through his chest.It is believed the man who has not been identified was cutting branches from a tree in his front garden at Friston when he fell and landed on a piece of scaffolding.

A 60-year-old man was airlifted to hospital today with serious chest injuries after a piece of scaffolding pierced his chest.

It is believed the man, who has not been identified, was cutting branches from a tree in his front garden at Friston when he fell and landed on a piece of scaffolding.

Steve Wright, 44, a self employed builder, witnessed the accident from a neighbouring house and rushed to the victim's aid.

"I saw him on the scaffolding and I kept watching him for some reason. He didn't look safe up there and I had a premonition something was going to happen.

"He was using a chainsaw to cut branches but fell and hit the scaffolding. The scaffolding went one way and the chainsaw went the other, he fell and landed on a spike which went through his chest."

Mr Wright rushed to help the man who had already pulled the piece of metal from his chest.

Mr Wright continued: "He was making gurgling noises and I immediately went to call an ambulance."

During that time Mr Wright said the man disappeared from the scene of the accident and he later found him slumped in a chair in his house.

On advice from ambulance staff Mr Wright tried to stop the flow of blood from the wound by holding a towel against his chest.

"Thankfully the ambulance was here very quickly," he said.

Paramedics took the man by ambulance to the village green where the air ambulance was waiting for him and he was then airlifted to Ipswich Hospital.

The accident happened just before 10am in Donkey Lane, Friston.