Superior firefighters rescued a bulldozer operator who became trapped in a stockpile of coal at Midwest Energy Terminal this morning.
The incident began around 10 a.m. when the operator backed into a hole on the stockpile.
"Just the tip of the blade was sticking out of the hole," Superior Fire Battalion Chief Vern Johnson.
Firefighters were dispatched to the scene at 10:02 a.m. On the scene, they set anchors, donned safety harnesses and descended into the hole to free the driver from the bulldozer. The man suffered minor injuries, and firefighters escorted him off the stockpile to where he could receive medical attention.
He was taken to the hospital in a Midwest Energy vehicle.
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Firefighters were on the scene until 11:07 a.m.
Earlier, from the General Mills Elevators road on the east side of the Midwest property, a number of people in yellow safety vests were seen as they briefly walked along the top of one of the large piles of coal.
Midwest had reported earlier this week that the Mesabi Miner would be loading about 58,000 tons of coal today, scheduled to depart the Twin Ports Friday for the Presque Island Power Plant in Michigan.
