Worker trapped for an hour in submerged bulldozer cab

Summary: A worker was trapped underwater in an upside-down bulldozer cab for more than an hour before divers finally reached him.

The incident: After working for other people for many years, Mike Unruh of Moundridge, KS, decided that he wanted to start his own business. So he launched Unruh Excavating and began to put in the long, hard hours required to grow his company.

Unruh had landed a job to help with the construction of a housing development in Wichita, KS. Among other things, Unruh was responsible for leveling loose sand near a man-made pond in the development.

As Unruh maneuvered a bulldozer back and forth to compress the sand, the bulldozer suddenly slipped on the loose surface and plunged backward into the pond.

The response: Nearby residents who saw the bulldozer tumble into the pond rushed over to help. Someone called 9-1-1. But no one could locate the submerged bulldozer.

Emergency responders arrived quickly, and within an hour divers had found the bulldozer, which was upside-down and located about 40 feet from the shoreline. They struggled to pull Unruh’s unresponsive body from the pond. CPR was administered right away, but nothing could be done to revive Unruh, who’d already drowned.

The aftermath: Unruh, 52, left behind a wife, three daughters and a grandchild. He was a devout Mennonite who was active in his local church. His wife said one of his biggest joys was to plan the perfect trip to the perfect location.

“Mike, our dear husband and our dad, is waiting on the other side,” wrote his wife and daughters, “having found something far beyond the perfect vacation spot. We believe he has found the beauty of heaven.”

(From the Oct. 2, 2023, issue of Safety Alert for Supervisors. To start your no-obligation trial subscription to the publication right now, please click here.)