State police are looking into how a backhoe fell about 70 feet down a steep hill close to Riverview Road in Rexford and trapped the operator.

Rexford Fire Chief Randy Paquin said that after the backhoe went over it hit a big maple tree about ten feet up on the trunk and slid to the bottom.

Rescuers got the man out and took him to Albany Medical Center where he is expected to survive.  No word on what caused the fall.