A 52-year-old Painesville, Ohio man died Wednesday after a mini excavator he was operating slid down a steep embankment and overturned into a pond in Concord Township, authorities said.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office responded to private property near St. Andrew’s Way after receiving a report of an accident involving construction equipment.

The man was operating a Kubota mini excavator behind a home when the equipment slid down the embankment and overturned into the pond, trapping him underneath, according to the sheriff’s office.

How to safely operate an excavator

The sheriff’s office’s dive team searched for the man and helped secure the excavator as it was removed from the pond. The man was found in the water and had died from his injuries, authorities said.

Fairport Harbor Fire/Rescue, the Lake County Coroner’s Office, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration also assisted at the scene.

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