On the Salzach bridge

Driver jumped out of excavator, which then sank immediately

The water rescue team and two fire departments have been working in Schwarzach since 12.30 pm. The construction vehicle fell from this bridge into the Salzach.(Bild: Österreichische Wasserrettung)

A construction site worker had to react with lightning speed on Tuesday in Schwarzach (Salzburg). His excavator fell off a bridge into the Salzach during work at the Wallnerau power station. The man was able to save himself by jumping. The excavator lies deep in the water.

An excavator operator was very lucky on Tuesday at lunchtime in Schwarzach. He was working at the Wallnerau power station on the Salzach. His vehicle suddenly plunged into the water from the weir bridge on which he was working.

The cause: a piece of rock was too heavy
The worker reacted quickly enough to save himself: "The driver jumped out of the excavator in time," explains Markus Gewolf from Salzburg Water Rescue. According to power plant operator Verbund, the worker was uninjured. The cause of the accident is now clear: the trash rack at the power plant had silted up since the flood in August. The worker was excavating the rake. "He lifted a stone from the bridge that was too heavy for the excavator," a Verbund spokesperson told the "Krone" newspaper. Gravity pulled the excavator and stone down into the water.

Excavator recovery is complex
Now the heavy vehicle has to be recovered. More than 20 men from the water rescue service and the Schwarzach and St. Johann fire departments are in action.

It is around five meters from the bridge to the water's edge. The recovery with a crane truck will be time-consuming. "The excavator is lying in the water at a depth of 15 or 20 meters," says the water rescue team. An oil barrier has been set up to protect the water from leaking liquids. The work is likely to continue for some time. According to the power plant operator, they expect to be able to recover the excavator in the next few days.