A north-east man battled in vain to revive his brother after he was buried in mud as he tried to clear a flooded field.
Gary Coutts was trapped when a trench caved in as he and colleague Graeme Shand worked to fix a drain at a farm in Aberdeenshire.
His brother Craig ran down to the field at Mains of Annochie Farm near Auchnagatt as soon as he realised he was injured.
He and Mr Shand tried to resuscitate the 32-year-old using CPR until paramedics arrived at the scene.
Mr Coutts, 28, said: “I went down and Gary had been covered with the earth. Graeme had him half dug out and was supporting his neck speaking to the operator.
“I don’t know how he did it, a lot of people would have been in shock.
“We were both trying to revive him. We were just doing what the emerging services were telling us to do.
“The emergency services did a cracking job, it was amazing how quick they were being in such a remote place.
“I couldn’t have asked any more of them.”
Mr Coutts said his brother was a keen football fan who had a season ticket to watch his beloved Aberdeen play at Pittodrie.
He lived in Oldmeldrum with his 43-year-old partner Gillian Gibb and her 13-year-old daughter Natalie.
They were due to fly to Disneyland in Florida next week for a fortnight’s holiday.
Mr Coutts said: “He liked spending time with his girlfriend and her daughter. He was good with Natalie and helped her with her homework.
“They went away on holiday every year, he liked to travel.”
The former Mintlaw Academy pupil was also devoted to his job and had always loved working on farms.
During his teenage years, he was a keen footballer playing for a local team in Ellon and winning several player of the year awards.
Mr Coutts had worked on the Mains of Annochie farm when he was at school and took a job there two years ago.
He had studied agriculture at Craibstone campus on the outskirts of Aberdeen.
His brother said: “I thought brothers working together would be tricky but we got on really well. We used to tease each other and wind each other up.
“He always did farm work and loved it. He fed all the cattle and was really good with them. He did a lot of tractor work as well.
“He was always in good fettle and always happy to help with whatever you were doing.”
Farm owner Michael Wilson said he was shocked by Mr Coutts’s tragic death.
The 42-year-old said: “He had been working here for two years but I’ve known him all my life.
“He was hard working, very kind and always considerate to others.
“He will be hugely missed by everyone.
“Farming is a dangerous job but you don’t realise how dangerous it is until something happens.”
The Health and Safety Executive has launched an investigation into the accident on Thursday afternoon.