Riley County, Kansas Fire Department responded to a report of a Hazmat Spill located on the K-16 Bridge which traverses Tuttle Creek Reservoir.
The mile long bridge, known as the Randolph Bridge, is the longest bridge in the state of Kansas and is located approximately 2 miles east of Randolph, Kansas. The bridge is currently closed for rehabilitation.
It was initially reported that there was a diesel fuel spill.
First arriving companies found that midway across the bridge; a 30 ton construction crane had fallen 83 feet from the bridge deck into the lake.
It was further reported that the crane operator and a ground guide had escaped prior to the machine falling from the bridge and that there were no injuries.
The regional Hazmat team from Manhattan responded for mutual aid.
In addition, the Kansas Department of Heath and Environment, the Kansas Fire Marshal's Haz-Mat Division, the Kansas Department of Transportation, and the US Army Corps of Engineers at Tuttle Creek Lake responded.
The water depth below the bridge was found to be approximately 18 inches, making it nearly impossible to get a boat near the incident.
The construction company used an identical crane to lower construction workers to the toppled crane, where they placed floating booms around the machine, attempting to contain the leaking diesel fuel and hydraulic fluid.
The depth of the mud is estimated at around 15-20 feet deep.
The construction company is in the process of making plans to cut up the machine, and remove it from the lake. It is expected to take several weeks.
