Digger stuck in silt in North Kent

Post recovery jobs for vehicles from 3.5 tonnes to the largest of HGV's & PSV's.

Moderator:mick

mick
New User
Posts:199
Joined:Tue Nov 11, 2008 11:15 pm
Digger stuck in silt in North Kent

Post by mick » Wed May 06, 2015 9:00 pm

We were called to this digger after it became partially submerged on the edge of an estuary. The machine was at the bottom of a steep embankment with the silt and water coming up to the top of the engine cover. The tracks and the undercarriage were totally submerged and the boom fully outstretched. The machine did not run and so could provide no assistance. During the night, the tide came in and most of it went under seawater.

We attended with two rotators. We felt that these were more suitable for the recovery as the digger was the other side of a crowned sea defence. Therefore, we would have to pass the booms over the top to help raise and pull the machine simultaneously. We were not able to go to the top of the embankment to carry out the recovery. A long reach machine had cleared some of the silt from in front of the machine, it then became apparent that the track frame was misaligned with the direction of pull. Cables and blocks were set up and the 1075 also provided a lift for the bucket of the machine which was dug into the embankment. A lot of effort was required to get the machine to move. There was excessive suction, the silt was particularly heavy and the embankment was steep. We had planned to pass the digger boom between both recovery vehicles and station the digger on the top of the embankment, before repositioning. Heavy rains then came, which made the surface treacherous and caused difficulty moving the recovery vehicles.

Eventually the machine was winched to a lower area. The cranes were rigged up and the machine raised before a low loader reversed beneath it. This was particularly difficult, as it was on a steep slope and the ground was unstable. Added to this, the engine did not run and so it all had to be done with the boom in the extended position. The machine was transported to West Sussex the next morning, again we attended and lifted the machine into place for further examination.


Image
Image
Image
Image
ImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImage

Post Reply