Florida’s infamous sinkholes don’t stop FLE. See how our team recovered a marina forklift from underground, repaired it, and put it back to work safely.
Florida is famous for its sunshine, its coastline — and its sinkholes. When one opened up beneath a marina forklift and swallowed it whole, the marina needed more than a tow truck. They needed a team that could recover the machine, assess the damage, and bring it back to full working condition safely.
That’s exactly what Forklift Exchange delivered.
Sinkholes strike fast and without warning. One day the ground is solid; the next, a piece of heavy equipment has disappeared into it. For a marina operation that depends on its forklift to move boat cradles, launch vessels, and keep the yard running, every hour of downtime has a real cost.
When the call came in, FLE dispatched our technician Jimmy to take the lead on the recovery.
Getting a forklift out of a sinkhole isn’t just a rigging job — it requires careful planning to avoid additional ground collapse, protect the machine from further damage during the lift, and ensure the surrounding area is safe for the crew working the recovery.
Jimmy coordinated the extraction, then conducted a thorough inspection of the forklift once it was above ground. Sinkholes expose equipment to impact stress, water intrusion, and structural damage that isn’t always visible at first glance. No shortcuts were taken — every system was checked and every issue was addressed before the machine was cleared for service.
The result: the marina’s forklift was repaired and returned to full operation, safely and correctly.
Whether it’s a routine PM, an emergency breakdown, or a recovery situation straight out of a Florida news story — FLE’s field service team is ready. We work on forklifts in marinas, ports, warehouses, construction sites, and anywhere else heavy equipment is doing serious work.
Need service anywhere in Florida or beyond? Contact us:
Whether it’s a coastal marina, a high-volume warehouse, a construction site, or one of those “only in Florida” emergencies, FLE’s field service team gets it done.
| Region | Contact Name | Phone Number |
|---|---|---|
| 📍 Southeast USA / East Coast FL | Tyler Jenkins | 📞 (772) 263-0648 |
| 📍 SW Florida & Georgia | Tommy | 📞 (413) 446-4044 |
| 📍 Midwest & West Coast | Jody | 📞 (708) 227-1500 |
| 📍 Texas | David Davies | 📞 (713) 703-9704 |
| 📍 Nationwide Service Support | Jimmy Belotti | 📞 (239) 298-7150 |
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