NORTH WILDWOOD — A mechanical mishap left a 40-ton Terex articulated dump truck filled with sand stranded in the ocean. The truck was on the beach as part of a beach replenishment program transporting sand from Wildwood Crest to North Wildwood.
Police, fire and rescue personnel received a call Fri., May 4 at 9:20 a.m. for a report of a vehicle submerged in the ocean. Reports noted a person inside the truck.
Upon arrival, emergency services found the truck along with its driver, 44-year-old Alfred Priest of Monroeton, PA 300 feet off the shoreline, submerged in approximately four feet of water. Open water rescue personnel were called in to extract the driver from the vehicle. He was pulled from the truck at 9:49 a.m. by rescuers using a rescue paddle board.
According to Dan Tocco, Project Superintendent for Berlin-based Mount Construction, the driver of the vehicle stated the accident occurred when the vehicle’s brakes failed. Tocco said as part of the project, trucks come to the beach to unload sand and make a K-turn.
Tocco added the attempts to remove the truck would take place at low tide. “There’s an excavator coming,” he said immediately after the accident. “Hopefully I can drag it back in.”
The truck was successfully removed from the ocean around noon. Excavation equipment moved to the site was used to create a berm, allowing another truck access to the submerged vehicle. The berm, in conjunction with low tide, meant the truck could be towed from the water with the use of cables and chains in a slow, laborious process. Once on dry land, investigators immediately examined the vehicle for clues to the mishap. Assisting in the removal were tractors from the city’s Department of Public Works.
Sand-filled trucks have been making the trek from the Crest to North Wildwood for the past several weeks as part of a beach fill project.
“Because of the project and the nature of the vehicles, they have to stay as close to the shoreline as possible,” said North Wildwood Fire Chief Jeffrey Cole.
While the truck sat mired in the muck of sand and water, its driver was evaluated by emergency personnel on the beach.
“He was evaluated on scene by the North Wildwood Fire Department,” said Cole. According to Cole, the driver was wet, but uninjured.
Even while one truck sat in the water, other trucks moved about the beach in order to get the beach replenishment completed on time and on budget.
“I’m not concerned about this company affecting the final finish date (May 19) at all,” said Mayor Bill Henfey. “This company is good. And they’re still on schedule.”
Court House – 10% to 27% of non citizens are illegally registered to vote and it is projected that 5% to 13% of them will illegally vote in Nov – it is not legal for non-citizens to vote in elections – do you hear…
