Old Town - A construction worker was rescued Tuesday afternoon in Old Town when the 30-ton excavator he was working on fell into the Stillwater River.


The operator was working to remove beams from the old bridge on Bennoch Road when the machine fell into the water.

The driver was completely submerged in the frigid river, but his co-workers were able to get him out before emergency crews arrived.

"The cab of the machine is completely under the water, under the ice. The boom everything, one side of the machine, and one track is all that's sticking out," said Sgt. Travis Roy of the Old Town Police Department.

The victim was taken to the hospital with minor injuries.

The company the man works for, as well as the Department of Transportation and the Department of Environmental Protection, are investigating what caused the machine to end up in the river.

A 120-ton crane is needed to lift the excavator out of the water. Police say it could take up to 24-hours before it is removed.