Construction Crane Collapses into Bay in Margate

Friday, March 06 2009 @ 09:51 pm EST

Contributed by: CBrining

AC Press
By MARTIN DeANGELIS Staff Writer, 609-272-7237
Published: Friday, March 06, 2009

 5:33 p.m. Update - MARGATE — A construction crane slid off a barge into the bay, leaving emergency workers busy Friday afternoon trying to contain diesel fuel or other fluids that leaked into the water in the accident, the fire chief said.
 

No one was hurt and there was no property damage, but an operator was in the 22-ton crane when it fell into about 6 feet of water, according to Chief John Kelley. The man escaped safely from the crane before rescue workers arrived, Kelley added.....Continue Reading with more photos

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By 5 p.m., the crane had been lifted out of the water by a larger crane and placed back onto the barge.

A Coast Guard environmental investigator estimated that a total of 20 to 40 gallons of various oil products spilled into the bay when the crane collapsed. A State environmental investigator at the scene said they expected the oil to be cleaned up by tonight.

The crane had been doing bulkhead work along Bayshore Drive, a street of mostly expensive homes near the Margate Bridge. About 25 emergency responders from Margate’s fire department, the U.S. Coast Guard, the State Police marine unit and Atlantic County’s hazardous-materials team were on the scene shortly after noon trying to deal with the spill, Kelley said.

 

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