Excavator slides into Lake Loramie; operator swims to safety

No one was injured Monday when an excavator slid off the rock causeway and into Lake Loramie, an Ohio Department of Natural Resources official said.

The machinery is being used on a dam project at Lake Loramie State Park in Minster, said Stephanie Leis, the ODNR official.

According to reports from bystanders, the operator was able to swim to safety.

The contractor, Miller Bros. Construction, Inc., of Archbold, is taking steps to recover the excavator. The project is expected to be completed this spring, despite Monday's incident, Leis said.