Darwin Award Contestant

[Woody]

Got this link sent to me tonight....   

http://www.crookstontimes.com/homepage/x1621227131

*Common sense isn't as common as one would think it is!   

[22lex]

He was trying to clear snow away from his fish house?

Boy, he will be remembered forever in Red Lake history!

[Woody]

I see KARE 11 has video of it, I'll see what I can do to get it posted here.  Sounds like the employee is in deep-as he should be. 

[Woody]

No dice on the video-check out KARE-11 http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=534101&catid=2 middle right hand side of the page.  $9,000.00 just to get it out, and it was still running! Now that says something for a Deere! 

[Woody]

County worker fired for sinking loader

The Associated Press 
CROOKSTON, Minn. — A Polk County employee who accidentally sank a county loader into an icy river in Crookston has been fired.

Mike Raymond tells the Grand Forks Herald that he got a letter telling him he was fired after 28 years with the Polk County Highway Department.

Department head Richard Sanders says Raymond was a good employee but that he clearly violated the department's work rules. Raymond was supposed to be clearing county parking lots early Monday when he instead started removing snow from a boat landing used by ice fishermen on the Red Lake River. His 9-ton John Deere loader slid down the landing and broke through the river ice.

Sanders says fixing the loader will cost thousands of dollars in parts and labor. Meanwhile, Raymond says he's not sure what he's going to do.

[finch]

I'm not sure how your ramps up there look, but down here it takes me nothing short of going 20-25 with my truck in 4-Hi to even stand a chance of making it up.  now am I justifying what this guy did?  no, you need to know your surroundings when you operate heavy equipment.  but I think his heart was in the right place. lol.  he just should have summoned something a little lighter than a 20,000 pound loader.

[Woody]

I agree, I'm not condoning what he did.  First it was overkill to use a Pay loader.  Second, it wasn't his to use!  Third, it wasn't worth the price he paid with his job.  Fourth, while his heart may have been in the right place, sometimes a lil thought into something before doing it is the right way to go.  But that's all in hindsight now isn't it.   

I know what you're saying with ramps....some of them are not so bad, while others are a challenge themselves to get onto. 

[Bobby Bass]

Ya it was a stupid thing to do,    but my question is how does it cost 9,000.00 to get the loader out?    The county brought in another loader and shovel to pull the loader out. Does the county bill themselves to use there own equipment or do they pay employees that much to spread sand on the landing and transport equipment to the site. Seems a tad expensive to me. Took them the afternoon to get it out so it is not like they were working days on it. 

[Woody]

I hear ya there Bobby!  In the video it clearly shows it still running as they pulled it out!  So you'd think they'd been able to drive it back to the shop, keeping it warm and letting the water dry up.  The cab however may have been wet-but I wouldn't think destroyed.  I'm sure they had to pay the dive team to get it hooked up-but how exorbitant was their charges?   

[Bobby Bass]

I hear ya there Bobby!  In the video it clearly shows it still running as they pulled it out!  So you'd think they'd been able to drive it back to the shop, keeping it warm and letting the water dry up.  The cab however may have been wet-but I wouldn't think destroyed.  I'm sure they had to pay the dive team to get it hooked up-but how exorbitant was their charges?   

You would think the county rescue squad diver would have done the hook up, Brother dove for the county here and they always look for an excuse to use the gear.

[Woody]

We may never know how they accrued such a high amount of "damages".   

[Bobby Bass]

The report says the 9 grand was just for getting it out!

[Woody]

I stand corrected (actually I'm sitting).  I misread it as 9k to fix it.   

[The General]

Do you think in 28 years that this wasn't the first time this guy did this?  I think if it wasn't such a big news story nothing would have been done.  I think his heart was also in the right place.  Now before everyone jumps on me I very much appreciate the snow plow drivers and everything they do.  But today and many, many other times I watch them have the blades down on a perfectly cleaned off highway with just a dusting of snow on the shoulder maybe even a 1/2 inch.  Sparks are flying, fuel is burning, highways are being pounded on and broken up.  How much money are we throwing away there? 

[finch]

I think that is pretty rare in most areas, general.  I know SD and some of southwest MN for sure have changed their snow alerts and don't even think about calling out the plows/sanders unless there is at least 3-5 inches or a sheet of ice on the roads.  sounds like you need to make a call to your county commissioners!!