Man in critical condition after rescue from electrical tower
Updated: 8/6/2003 9:57:43 AM By: News 24 Houston web staff
A contract worker in Webster is in critical condition today after being shocked by a power line he was working on. The man, who is an apprentice with the North Houston Pole Company, was performing general maintenance on a power line on NASA Rd. 1. The line was supposed to be dead, but turned out to be a hot power line, officials said. "This morning at approximately 9:30, we responded to an electrical shock. An apprentice from the North Houston Pole Company was working on a high line. The line was supposed to be dead and grounded -- apparently it was not. The apprentice touched the tower and the wire and was shocked," said Lt. Eddie Havlice with the Webster Fire Department. "We don't know how much he was shocked with. The line carries approximately 138,000 volts. The crew from the North Houston Pole Company did CPR up in the air, on the high wire, for approximately 20 minutes before he was brought down by a bucket truck. The fire department continued CPR and loaded him into life flight helicopter and was transported to [Memorial] Hermann Hospital in critical condition." The victim's name has not yet been released.