Excavator Freed

After 2 months, workers dig out excavator stuck on Avalon beach
By JOHN CURRAN
Associated Press Writer
June 12, 2006, 6:25 PM EDT
AVALON, N.J. -- A 150-ton excavator that got stuck on a beach while working on a seawall project was finally freed Monday after work crews removed parts to lighten it.

Just after 5 p.m., a giant construction crane lifted the excavator up and out of the place it sat for more than two months. Onlookers cheered and workmen at the site were seen hugging each other.

The excavator, operated by a contractor working on an Army Corps of Engineers beach project, became mired on the seashore along Townsends Inlet on March 28 and was subsequently buried in sand as the seawater from succeeding tides inundated it.

For weeks, all that was visible was an exhaust pipe and the arm of the excavator.

Previous attempts to remove it have been thwarted, turning the site into a sort of accidental tourist attraction with locals and shore visitors alike lining Ocean Drive to watch the progress of the work _ or lack thereof.

"You have to see it to believe it," said Dennis Maguire, 54, of neighboring Sea Isle City, watching from his parked van Monday afternoon. "It's very interesting."

The Corps project, to build a seawall protecting the northern end of Avalon from the eroding effects of the ocean, was nearing completion when the excavator got stuck.

"It's a mess," said Mike Johnson, 66, of Ocean City, standing on a seawall with his wife to watch. "It's like when you stand in the sand and your feet keep sinking."

Residents of Avalon, a tony summer resort south of Atlantic City, and neighboring Sea Isle City turned excavator-watching into a spectator sport. They showed up with cameras in hand, some bringing small children to watch the work. Many returned day after day.

"I want to get a closer look," said Gus Schrevelius, 5, holding the hand of his mother, Liz Schrevelius, as they stood on the seawall watching Monday