Underwater model of an excavator
See this amazing underwater scan of a mining excavator wreck by my student Bartłomiej Pitala. It is located in one of flooded quarries in Poland. This model was produced during our Fundamentals of Underwater Photogrammetry On-line Course.
Mining excavator wreck by Bartłomiej Pitala
Why the excavator is underwater
Here is the description by the author himself:
This wreck lies on the bottom of “Koparki” quarry in Jaworzno, Poland. In 1990s it was used to extract dolomite for “Zakłady Dolomitowe ‘Szczakowa’ ” company. As the company’s financial situation deteriorated, one day the electricity was cut-off from the quarry due to unpaid bills and the work had to be paused. The quarry was situated below groundwater level – when the electric water pumps stopped working, the quarry started to fill with water. When the flooding was finally spotted it was already too late to save the quarry and the equipment in it from being sunk. Firemen brigades with pumps were working at the site, but adding the heavy rainfalls – they were unable to expel the water. Now the place is one of the most known diving spots in the southern Poland, and this excavator, together with its twin sister, are the greatest attractions of the quarry.
Bartłomej Pitala