Weed harvesters are a great way to keep a lake from being overrun by aquatic plants, but not when they’re floating upside down.
Around 8:30 a.m. Monday, an Addison man was operating a weed harvester in the northern portion of Lakeville Lake, near Army Rd., when his vessel capsized.
‘I’m not sure what happened,? said Fire Chief George Spencer. ‘I’m not sure why it capsized.?
The operator was able to escape and climb on top of the capsized vessel’s hull. He was rescued by a fast-acting homeowner on the lake, according to Spencer.
The Oakland County Sheriff’s Marine Division responded to the incident. They made sure the vessel was secure and not leaking any diesel fuel, motor oil or hydraulic fluid.
Addison’s fire department was notified around 11:30 a.m.
Fire personnel gathered and prepared all the necessary equipment to contain and cleanup any possible petroleum-based spills thus preventing them from contaminating the lake or surrounding wetlands.
Oakland Township’s firefighters assisted Addison with their rescue truck and boat.
Using a tow-truck positioned in the backyard of a home off Devonshire, a cable line was eventually stretched to the vessel.
The harvester was finally uprighted and towed to shore sometime between 8-8:30 p.m., according to Spencer. The recovery process was completed Tuesday morning.
A little bit of oil was spilled in the water while the vessel was being turned right-side up, but it was immediately taken care of.
‘The cleanup crew did an awesome job in making sure that the environmental impact was as minimal as possible,? Spencer said.