Actually, the backhoe was starting to look something like that (with water and muck pouring in the windows) when I decided it might be a good idea to get myself outside the machine. Fortunately the windows were open (I wouldn't have been able to open them after the fact) and it didn't end up sinking any further.
I rented (and ended up buying) a very large excavator and took about half a day to get the backhoe out and it's now sitting by the workshop getting worked on whenever I feel like it. I've replaced all of the major wires and still have a lot of work to do with the rest of the wiring, some cleanup, then it should be good as new.
Amazing what charged batteries do to wires and especially their terminal ends when immersed. On one side of the fuse block (the side that was under water longest), I've pulled all the fuses out and can see connections on the left side and nothing but air on the right.
Major project!
A couple of days after freeing the backhoe, I got the excavator stuck even worse. The excavation company I called in to free it took lots of pictures and I hope to have copies soon.
The excavator was very expensive to rent, and could be bought for about 9 1/2 months rent, so I went for it. Figure I've got about 2 years of work I can have it do, then sell it and take a far smaller beating than I would've keeping it rented. Will get a picture of it someday. Very large machine. JCB 260.
The backhoe is big and tough. The excavator could turn it into scrap metal in a minute or two.
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