by Chris Hunter
chunter@thekmgroup.co.uk

A week ago Barry Martin was trapped in a van under a fallen tree, as his friend and colleague Chris Hayes lay crushed and dying at his side.

The Tonbridge builder's tale of survival is miraculous - moments before the tragedy both men had been sitting side by side enjoying lunch but Mr Martin escaped unhurt after bending down to pick up a lighter he dropped in the van’s footwell at the precise moment the tree struck.

Almost as incredible is the fact that the 32-year-old of Thames Road, was back working on the same site in Sandhurst Road, Tunbridge Wells, just days after the January 3 accident – in a display of commitment that stands as testimony to a fallen colleague with a reputation for professionalism and perfectionism.

“The customer is happy for me to finish the job, and we would never leave a job unfinished,” he explained.

"I'm still in a right state. I’m just trying to put my head into work. I can’t sleep.
“One day it will hit me, but until it does I’ll keep going.

"The police have been around to see me a couple of times to say 'how are you getting on?’ and I will speak to someone at some point. At the moment I need to get the job done.”

Behind the show of strength, father-of-one Mr Martin remains in shock; hardly knowing how to come to terms with the trauma of that morning.
“It’s still a bit of a blur,” he said, recalling the moment the 60ft beech tree fell."

Mr Martin has not recovered enough to think of himself as lucky.
He praised Mr Hayes, 51, as a “lovely bloke” who was “very friendly and easy going”.

A full interview with Mr Martin appears in this week's Kent Messenger.