A BELCO worker was lucky to escape with his life after emergency crews spent over an hour prying him from the tattered remnants of the left side of his service vehicle yesterday afternoon.

The large BELCO vehicle - which is known as a "bucket truck" - is used to repair overhead lines and was on its way to job on the old Marriott Castle Harbour property.

The truck skidded off Harrington Sound Road, down a small slope and collided with a Casuarina tree just before the junction with Paynter Road around 1:40 p.m.