WorkSafeNB is investigating after a crane doing construction work on a bridge near Coles Island fell into the frozen Canaan River.
The incident took place Tuesday on Route 10, when the crane fell off a temporary bridge and into the river about 65 kilometres east of Fredericton.
No one was injured.
“An operator was in the crane but luckily escaped by walking on pieces of wood that fell with the crane and then walking on the ice to safety,” said Laragh Dooley, a spokesperson for WorkSafeNB.
The crane fell five metres into the water after a temporary bridge structure failed.
Dooley said it may take several weeks for the remnants of the crane to be removed from the water, as the bridge will have to be “inspected, certified safe and repaired.”
WorkSafeNB investigations usually wrap up within six months but can last longer than a year depending on the circumstances of the incident.
