Backhoe swallowed up as water main break causes sinkhole near Boston

Photos by Bedford Police Department

A backhoe operator responding to a water main break was able to escape as his machine was partially swallowed by a sinkhole near Boston.

Photos by Bedford Police Department

According to a report from the Boston Globe, the main break occurred the morning of Jan. 7 and quickly eroded the ground beneath nearby pavement.

As the backhoe drove over the road, the pavement gave way, opening a 10-foot-wide sinkhole that caused the machine to flip over on its side. Nearly half of the machine became engulfed by the hole.

The driver of the machine was not injured.