Submerged by rising tide

A digger driver had to flee his 22-ton machine as it got bogged down in a harbour and was submerged by the rising tide.The £90,000 Daewoo digger was being used to dredge excess silt from West Bay harbour in Dorset when it became bogged down in the soft mud.The driver desperately tried to free the excavator but was forced to abandon it and wade to shore as the rising sea water reached the top of the tracks.

The 22-ton Daewoo digger sat at the bottom of the West Bay harbour, in Dorset, after it got stuck as it was used to dredge excess silt

Falling tide: A rescue operation gets underway to recover the £90,000 digger as the tide goes out. It is feared the digger will be a write-off

The digger is pulled to safety before the next tide comes in. Two large diggers and a mobile crane had to be used to pull it out

The digger is now being assessed by loss adjusters but it is feared it will be a write-off