06.09.2023

Recovery saga

A crane overturned while setting up for a lift on a narrow road between Hamburg and Berlin in Germany last week.

The whole affair - which closed state road 9 for much of the day on Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th of August - began with a truck which ran off the road. Apparently the driver, 23, had swerved to avoid a trailer loaded with hay or straw bales which had become unhitched from the vehicle towing it which had then veered across the road in front of him. He ended up careering off the side of the road along with the towing vehicle, while the trailer came to rest on the the other side. Thankfully no one was hurt.

A recovery truck was apparently sent out to recover the truck and the car, but failed to extract the truck. So, a mobile crane was summoned. As the operator set up he strangely decided to only extend the outriggers to the rear of the lift, before fully elevating the retracted boom, and as he slewed over the side the crane tipped rearwards and came to rest with the counterweight on the road. The operator was unhurt.
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Another larger recovery truck arrived to put the crane back on its wheels and extract the truck. After several attempts that operator wisely called time and gave up. A larger mobile crane was ordered which managed to complete the job, with all of the vehicles involved safely recovered.

Sadly, the local police only had one photograph of the incident - or rather saga - available.