11.03.2007

Crane drops the boat

A crane driver escaped from his crane on Friday after the Rough Terrain crane he was operating tipped over while lifting a yacht out of the water at Ken Browns Boats in Camber dock, Portsmouth, southern England.

The six metre/20ft yacht had been lifted clear of the water, when it suddenly tipped forward pulling the crane over which dumped the boat back in the sea.

Witnesses say that there were strong gusts of wind in the area at the time, It seems that the boat started two swing creating a side loading on the boom pulling the crane over onto its side and bending the boom’s fly section.
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The crane was pulled over onto its side

After collapsing the crane seemed to catch fire with smoke billowing form the cab.

An ambulance crew and a paramedic on a 'rapid response' motorbike treated the injured operator for non life-threatening leg and facial injuries before taking him to Queen Alexandra Hospital for further assessment.
Officers from the Environment Agency were also called because of reports of leaking fuel.
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The mast of the yacht was broken by the impact

The impact of the boat on the water caused the mast to come crashing down.
The pictures we have been sent are very poor and were apparently taken with a mobile phone by a bystander.