A man trapped under heavy machinery at an Oshawa work site this morning has been rushed to a local hospital in critical condition.

Durham Regional Police say they were called to a workplace accident on Verdun Road, in the area of Olive Avenue and Ritson Road South, at around 8:20 a.m.

According to police, a male worker, who is believed to be about 47 years old, became trapped under some type of machinery in a trench.

Const. George Tudos said Oshawa Fire worked “frantically” to free him and he has now been taken to an Oshawa hospital.

Oshawa Fire Chief Derrick Clark told CP24 that the about 30 firefighters worked for approximately two hours remove the man from the trench.

“He was conscious during most of the extrication,” Clark said, adding that the worker was also able to talk to fire crews.

The injuries, Clark said, appeared to primarily affect his lower body.

Ornge air ambulance was on standby at the scene but did not transport the man to hospital.

Speaking to CP24, Ornge said the man sustained severe, life-threatening injuries and was not stable enough to fly to a trauma centre.

He has since been transported to Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto.

It is not clear how the man became trapped under the equipment but the Ministry of Labour and Durham Regional Police will be investigating the incident.

Officials are currently in the process of notifying the victim’s family members.

Clark said the extrication was “very difficult” and added that crews had to remove equipment weighing upwards of 8,000 pounds to free the trapped man.

“It is a very complicated process that our fire crews train a lot of hours every year to do successfully," Clark said.

Verdun Road was closed this morning during the emergency rescue.