In the drink

Fulton Hogan staff (from left) Adam Chapman, of Queenstown, Vincent Lynch, of Queenstown, and diver Chris Fisher, of Alexandra, try to work out what to do when a digger being operated to remove debris and tree branches from the shoreline of Lake Dunstan got out of its depth on Tuesday.

The Fulton Hogan digger was on the edge of the lake in front of Old Cromwell town on Tuesday morning when it was believed the rocks beneath it started to give way, causing it to slip into the lake.

Fulton Hogan Central regional manager Alan Peacock, who was in Christchurch during the drama, said from his understanding the digger was successfully removed from the lake later that afternoon.