Stranded digger back to shore

ON THE MOVE: A digger that had become stranded in Henley Lake is brought safely back to dry land yesterday. PHOTO/LYNDA FERINGA

Fears a bulldozer might have to be called in to tow a stranded digger from Henley Lake were put to rest yesterday when a rescue crew managed to start the machine and coax it to shore.

Back on dry land after a night amid the wind-driven waves, the digger will soon again be traversing the lake to help with the relocation of most of a small island.

Deputy mayor Graham McClymont, who is overseeing the work to be done on the island, said the digger had come to no lasting harm, there had been no oil spills, no water had got into the sump and there had been no environmental damage caused by the hiccup.

On Monday one of two diggers had made its way safely to the island but the second digger became stranded part way across mainly due to infiltration caused by wind-driven wave action.

Mr McClymont and his rescue crew took fresh batteries over to the stricken digger and by powering up the back of the starter motor managed to fire it up.

Late yesterday a special meeting of those involved in the island exercise - which is being done to allow dragon boat and waka ama lanes to be created - was called and it was agreed the digger had come to no harm and would soon be put back into the fray.

Meanwhile, the level of the lake is to be further lowered bringing it down about 500mm on its usual level.

Work will start today stripping off vegetation on the island using the one digger already on site.

Masterton District Council, which has allotted $28,000 for the work, has moved to allay fears the work would destroy the habitat of nesting birds.

Council spokesman Sam Rossiter-Stead said a group of people had gone to the island and thoroughly searched it.

Not one nesting bird, or any evidence of nesting had been found, he said.