Fruitland Excavator Dive Team

FRUITLAND, Md. - Multiple first responders were on the scene in Fruitland on Tuesday after an excavator fell into a retention pond, trapping the operator under water.

Fruitland Fire Company Deputy Chief Curtis Kennedy says emergency crews received a 911 call on Dec. 9 after the excavator went into the water near Slab Bridge Road. The victim was still trapped when first responders arrived.

Chopper 16 was overhead as a dive team pulled the man from the water. The patient was taken by ambulance to a nearby Maryland State Police helicopter, which then flew him to Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, according to Kennedy. 

The man’s status was not immediately clear Tuesday afternoon. Kennedy tells WBOC the patient was not conscious when he was pulled from the water.

This article will be updated as more information becomes available. 

Digital Content Producer

Sean joined WBOC as Digital Content Producer in February 2023. Originally from New Jersey, Sean graduated from Rutgers University with bachelor’s degrees in East Asian Studies and Religion. He has lived in New York, California, and Virginia before he and his wife finally found a place to permanently call home in Maryland. With family in Laurel, Ocean Pines, Berlin, and Captain’s Cove, Sean has deep ties to the Eastern Shore and is thrilled to be working at WBOC serving the community.

Recommended for you