Excavator Removed From Hingham Harbor After It Sunk Friday, Began Leaking Fuel

HINGHAM (CBS) – An excavator was pulled from Hingham Harbor on Saturday, one day after it got stuck deep in mud and began leaking fuel into the water.

"They were operating in just a couple inches of water in mud and the machine started getting sucked down into it," said Hingham Fire Chief Steve Murphy on Friday.

Construction crews were working on a boat ramp Thursday and were trying to straighten a piling when the excavator got stuck.

Hingham Fire, the Massachusetts Coast Guard and the state Department of Environmental Protection responded to the spillage. They put down orange and yellow rings in an effort to prevent the spread.

"These are all simply to contain the oil or anything else that's on the machine and the additional white stuff are absorbents to make sure there's no release or anything else," described Chief Murphy.

Onlookers watched from the beach as crews got muddy trying to drain the diesel fuel – and the most challenging task – breaking the suction.

"They're trying to remove the oil that's in that containment ring and if they can, pump the oil and diesel out of the machine itself," Chief Murphy explained.

No one was injured.