Two commercial tree-planters from Southland are in Dunedin Hospital with serious injuries after an incident on Glencairn Station at Waikaia yesterday.
A 32-year-old Gore man with serious spinal injuries and a 38-year-old Mataura man were flown to hospital by the Otago Regional Rescue Helicopter.
No further information about their condition was available last night.
The men and two others, a 45-year-old Mataura man and 39-year-old Seaward Downs man, were in a double-cab utility vehicle which rolled about 70m down a steep gully shortly before 4pm.
The older men suffered moderate chest injuries and were taken to Gore Hospital by ambulance.
All four men were part of a commercial tree-planting operation contracted to work on the station.
Police said the driver of the utility lost control on a grassy paddock area and the vehicle went into a steep gully. It rolled numerous times and landed about 70m down the slope.
Emergency services were called at 4pm.
A helicopter was dispatched as well as fire appliances with vehicle-cutting equipment, a Fire Service spokesman said.
Occupational health and safety inspectors had been advised of the incident.
Police said they did not intend to lay charges "given the location of the incident".
