Crane Crushes House In Home Improvement Mishap

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A home improvement project in Shoreview, Minn., went horribly wrong Friday afternoon when a crane fell on top of a house while it was lifting a pool to the backyard.

"Everything seemed to be going fine," said Peter Krause, an electrician who was supposed to wire the pool.

When Krause showed up at the house something told him to start recording the construction on his cell phone.

"I didn't think anything was going to happen, but you never know," Krause said.

Krause's cell video captured the painstaking process of lifting a pool over a house. Everything seemed to go according to plan until the crane operator prepared to lower the pool.

The pool then crashed to the ground.

The pool's weight was too much for the crane and it caused the crane to collapse onto the garage. In the fall, the crane took out the chimney and the pool hit a new fence.

"At that point, what can you do?" Krause said. "Your Friday went backwards."

By Saturday evening, the pool was in its proper place, and the crane had been removed. However, the accident is one home improvement mishap that those involved will likely remember.

The homeowners said an electrical short in the crane may have caused it to extend farther than it should while carrying that kind of weight.

They had a good attitude about the damage and said they were new to the area and this allowed them to meet their neighbors.