25.01.2021

Bucket truck overturn and recovery

A bucket truck being used to cut trees overturned on Friday in Montgomery County, Texas, on the north side of Houston.
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The overturned bucket truck

The Altec overcentre truck mounted lift belonged to ABC Tree Service which carries out work for the local utilities. It was set up alongside the road in order to remove trees in preparation for a new high tension power line. Its load side stabilisers were set up on grass made softer by recent heavy rains. The top boom was roughly horizontal when the ground gave way under the loaded stabiliser causing the machine to tip and slip off the road. Thankfully the man in bucket was not hurt, partly due to the boom rubbing against the tree trunk slowing its descent.
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The boom's descent was slowed by trees

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The outriggers sank into the ground - photographs courtesy of Scott Engle

Two heavy wrecker trucks from Milstead Heavy Duty Recovery were called out to recover the platform, with the entire job captured on video by Scott Engle who runs the Montgomery Police Reporter with his wife Jamie.