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WANSHIP, Summit County — A 47-year-old Tooele man was not seriously injured after he was pinned by a 10,000-pound excavator for more than an hour in Summit County Wednesday night, officials said.
The man was using a mini excavator to move the cement blocks of a retaining wall on his property near Rockport Estates about 9 p.m. Wednesday, according to Summit County Sheriff's Lt. Andrew Wright. The excavator rolled on a steep part of the property, ejecting the driver and pinning his legs to the ground for at least 90 minutes before emergency crews could rescue him.
Emergency responders called for a medical helicopter. However, after a tow truck removed the excavator, the man was able to lift and move his legs, Wright said.
"Miraculously, he didn't have any at least noticeable trauma to his legs," Wright said.
First responders speculated that soft, wet soil may have prevented injury.
The man was transported to a hospital as a precaution.
Contributing: Shara Park, KSL TV and Peter Samore, KSL Newsradio
