In an attempt to cross Crow Creek in Marshall County Illinois machine operator runs into hole.

 A skilled operator is sometimes faced with a difficult situation.  I have had dirt slide away or mud give way under my tracks in an instant. It's not all road building and foundation work. He used the basic six way blade escape.  Luckily the blade had a harder surface to push on.  With running these machines, you learn more and more. I think this guy just used common sense, but I guess some people would call it a smart man!!  There's an old sayings "Where cat tails grow, tracks don't go." or "use the right tool for the job" Seems this operator could have saved a lot of trouble if he had known that.  The best men are not those who never  make a mistake but those who do , cry a little and then start doing something about it. I like the logic he used to get assistance from the front blade in the manner he immersed and angled it to push back to help the  caterpillar  tracks. Well done and good logic.  Good job! I remember a river clean up we did a few years ago we had several blades, excavators, track loaders, and rock trucks all working in the water at once. They fixed what they had to and all got out.  Stuff the location or the circumstances. .. what a beast of a machine!!! It just backed itself out of a pond....didn't even sound like it was stressing it either. ..
Good them cats ☺  From my experience in construction this will get you a BIG fine from the EPA. We were told "if it looks like someone took a piss in it, don't cross it without laying pads first".  The D-6 is a big machine!  I guess he used the forward "plow" to push himself backwards!  Water is heavy and mud can be like cement so that was quite a feat!