On Wednesday noon, February 1, 2023, around 12:30 PM, the fire departments Heiligenwald and Schiffweiler were alerted to the Itzenplitzer Weiher with the keyword TH small – digger in the pond. The first responders confirmed the situation on site. A mini excavator fell into the pond during work on the shore area. The masonry and soil had given way, causing the mini excavator to tip over. The excavator driver was rescued by a worker who jumped into the ice-cold water and opened the door.
Oil containment booms were deployed on the water surface using the rescue boat to capture any possible leaking operating fluids and to prevent their spread across the entire pond. Later during the operation, the excavator was carefully recovered from the water by a specialized company using a crane. To enable the recovery, several branches from two trees had to be removed. After the recovery, small amounts of operating fluids were absorbed with oil absorbent material. At 6 p.m., the emergency personnel were able to leave the scene.
