A man in Florida was electrocuted while trimming trees.
On Thursday, June 27, a man in Hudson, near Tampa Bay, was trimming palm trees around 3 p.m. local time when he may have come into contact with nearby power lines, according to a press release from the Pasco Sheriff’s Office. as reported by Tampa Bay Times and local affiliate station FOX 13.
The man, who officials have not publicly identified, was working alone at the intersection of Maria Drive and Sea Ranch Drive, using an elevated bucket. One neighbor who saw the incident from his garage told FOX 13 he died within seconds.
“I was working in the garage and heard all these electrical explosions, like a transformer,” neighbor Henry Foytik recalled, adding that he even saw the man’s belt on fire.
Sea Ranch Drive and Maria Drive.
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“I look across the street and see big balls of sparks falling,” Foytik added. “The guy is hanging off the side [of the bucket]it just hangs on the side from the waist down.”
Medical personnel tried to monitor the man’s heart, but he had already died, Foytik added.
According to the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, the incident caused a temporary power outage in the area. The Withlacoochee River Electric Company restored power to the area shortly thereafter.
FOX reported that the Pasco County Fire Department also responded to the incident.
“This was an isolated incident and there is no doubt that foul play was involved,” the Pasco Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. “There is no threat to public safety. The investigation is ongoing.”
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A picture of a police car.
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Texas dad-to-be, 20, dead after being electrocuted while trimming tree: ‘Tragic loss’
According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), more people die during tree felling — or tree felling — than during any other logging activity. However, there are many ways to prevent these incidents.
Anyone planning to trim or remove trees should take extreme precautions around power lines and assume “all power lines are live,” the organization said.
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“Contact the utility company to discuss turning off the power and grounding or protecting power lines,” OSHA added. “All tree trimming or tree removal work within 10 feet of power lines must be performed by trained and experienced line clearing trimmers.”
In addition, OSHA recommends that people planning to trim trees should eliminate nearby hazards, never turn their backs on a falling tree, and avoid working in hazardous weather conditions.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education