An Australian man died after accidentally falling through a woodchipper on a property in Gympie, north of Brisbane.

In a press conference Monday, Acting Inspector Paul Algie said the way the man died was “absolutely shocking.”

“It’s a horrendous thing to have to attend as a police officer — any sudden death — but these circumstances were absolutely shocking,” he told the Australian Broadcasting Company.

“Everyone’s obviously very distressed and we’re still trying to work out the circumstances as to who has seen what.”

The 54-year-old Queensland man was clearing the driveway of a rural property in Goomborian, Gympie — about 660 miles north of Sydney — with two friends Sunday night when the incident occurred.

None of the men were contractors and were there to help the person who owns the property.

“They are all friends and they were doing a favor for the lady that owns the property, sadly,” Maryborough forensics Inspector Steve Webb told Channel Nine.

Algie said the two men who were with the victim when the incident occurred were “extremely distressed.”

“They’re understandably extremely distressed over what’s occurred,” he said.

“They’re very traumatized as a result of what’s happened and police are assisting them, obviously, in any way we can in terms of ongoing welfare needs.”

First responders and anyone investigating the incident have also been offered support services.

According to police, the man died instantly and his death is being treated as an accident.

Algie could not yet say if the man had been using the woodchipper unsafely or incorrectly.

Officers from the Sunshine Coast’s Workplace Health and Safety team are investigating and police are preparing a report for the coroner.

Forensic officers and the disaster victim identification unit from Brisbane are also “still trying to ascertain” how it happened.