LAKE COUNTY HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT

Employee Is Killed When Escavator Overturn Into River

At approximately 2:00 p.m. on April 30, 2013 Employee #1 and coworkers were brea king up ice in the easterly culvert using a CAT 315L tracked excavator. The empl oyee repositioned the excavator over the westerly culvert attempted to drive the excavator up the embankment between the road and culverts. Employee #1 was usin g the bucket of the excavator to help pull the excavator up the embankment. When the employee lifted the excavator bucket to reposition it, the excavator slippe d from the embankment and overturned into the river. The excavator landed in the river top side down with both tracks above the surface and the cab below the su rface. A call was made to Lake County Emergency Rescue Service. Employee #1's bo dy was recovered from the cab of the excavator, where he was pronounced dead.