Maybe the machine bit off more than it could chew.
The cause of whatever recently flipped over a weed harvester on Florence Lake in Langford is under investigation, said Coun. Lanny Seaton, chair of Langford’s parks and recreation committee.
“In my opinion, they might have had too big a load,” said Seaton, a long-time advocate for a machine to remove problematic weeds from Florence, Glen and Langford lakes.
“The wind could have been a factor as well,” noted Seaton, who has operated the machine on numerous occasions.
There have been two similar incidents in the past, one each on Langford Lake and Glen Lake. Harvesters, which are operated by volunteers, have been in use on Langford’s lakes for more than 15 years. The one that tipped over on Florence Lake replaced the original a couple of years ago.
It was towed to Jenkins Marine on Monday to assess any damage resulting from the incident.
Ron Rayner, who lives near Florence Lake, said the mishap first came to his attention on July 7.
Rayner, a frequent swimmer in the lake for the past 36 years, said he’s frustrated that the beach was closed off for several days without any explanation.
“It would have been nice if they put up a temporary sign explaining what was going on,” he said.
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