A heavy equipment operator escaped injury Monday afternoon when his machine tumbled down a slope.
Emergency crews were called to Sunnyside Road near Boucherie Road in West Kelowna just before 5 p.m.
A slope gave way, causing the excavator to roll over down the hill.
The operator was checked over by paramedics and fire crews as well.
“They place the rubber mats over top where they’re going to blast just to contain any flying rock and debris,” West Kelowna Fire Assistant Fire Chief Darren Lee explained. “They were dropping the mats on top when the machine tipped over.The plan for recovery is they’ve called for a crane, and once the crane is able to right the excavator and can move it out of the way, they’ll deal with the blasting at a safe time, or appropriate time here.”
The operator was experienced and did not jump from the machine which likely saved him from injury, Lee said.
It is not known what, if any, damage the machine sustained.