A digger operator told of how he battled in vain to save Bermuda College landslide victim Andrea Bicari when she was buried under tons of rubble on Wednesday.

The young mother of one was crushed as she sat in the visitors car park when an embankment and road at neighbouring Elbow Beach hotel collapsed.

KP Swan Sr. was in Southampton on his way to work at Warwick bowl when he was called on his mobile at 10.30 a.m. and raced to the scene.

"It was a tearful request, they were pretty frantic."

Arriving 20 minutes later in his large digger he was "awe struck" to find a landslide.

He said: "I was expecting to pull a car from a wall. I was surprised and very concerned and I got a little panicked too."

The surprise continued as he began work. "I was expecting a wall that was reinforced but I found rocks in a bit of concrete.

"I was surprised to find material so poor in terms of being secure.

"It was well below standard for a wall in that situation. I guessed it was from an old house."

Directed by Chief Fire Officer Vincent Hollinsid, he joined forces with a bobcat operator from East End Asphalt to move the rubble.

Mr. Swan who has been in the excavation business for 18 years said once working his experience kicked in and he put emotions aside.

He said: "It was a delicate situation. We worked very efficiently, it was a synchronised effort - you have no time to think about it. I have been excavating all my life."

Although there was plenty of sandy earth in the rubble Mr. Swan said: "There wasn't much sand on the car. More like big heavy rocks, big clumps of rock and weak concrete."

Later joined by a digger driven by Allan DeSilva of Island Construction, the team worked cautiously as they got nearer the car.

Mr. Swan said: "My whole sense from what I saw was it would be a miracle if she survived. I was really concerned."

"We finally lifted the roof off." His worst fears were confirmed when they saw the body although Mr. Swan said: "There were only a couple of scratches on her.

"It was a very sad situation. When I found out there was a meeting held about this road and they didn't deal with it, I became very angry.

"It was preventable and that really concerns me. Some one could have been warned. I feel for the family."

He urged builders to be more ready to point out dangers they saw on the job.

Mr. Swan said: "In areas where we know its alluvial sand, an effort should be made to reinforce the structures.

"It's mobile, you have vibration, you have weight, you have water. That's a recipe for danger."

He said other roads needed to be looked at - including Middle Road - near the wrecks at Black Bay where he said he has spotted fractures in the asphalt. "It's all sand, you see fractures in the road."

Mr. Swan said a nearby house had to be reinforced further along not too long ago.

On Thursday Work and Engineering Minister Alex Scott urged people to be vigilant after the heavy rains but not panic and to report any worries to planning.