05.05.2014

Two more power line incidents

Two men were seriously injured on Friday in two separate incidents while using aerial lifts near power lines.

In the first incident a man was working on a power line from a bucket in Hemingway, South Carolina, (to the west of Myrtle Beach) when, according to witnesses, he was struck by a large fireball.
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The Sumter Utilities unit shortly after the incident occured

Colleagues were able to lower the platform and rescue the injured man, Milton Thigpen, from the basket. While he was clearly suffering from serious burns to his chest, he was conscious and talking. He was wearing a harness and lanyard at the time, which may well have prevented the shock from throwing him out of the basket?
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Colleagues lowered the platform and rescued its occupant

The incident cut power to most of the town. The aerial lift is owned and operated by Sumter Utilities

The second incident involved a man employed by Time Warner who was working on a telecoms line in Silver Valley, North Carolina (North East of Charleston) when he apparently inadvertently lowered the platform, a new machine, onto a live power line. The man, Christopher Jones, was rushed to hospital, where he was said to be in critical condition on Friday evening.