WFO, you are absolutely correct. I won't try to explain, justify, or judge the actions of anyone there that day. Indeed, I knew this detail would raise some questions.
In my post, I tried to relate events as accurately as possible, and limited myself to the information available at the time.
The sparky himself did have the same concerns. He made a deliberate choice to take the chance. He tried to justify his chance-taking by claiming time was critical, the lack of other parties nearby, his electric-rated boots, etc ... but, in the end, I think he took the chance because HE REALLY WAS NOT CERTAIN WHAT WAS HAPPENING.
The victim went rigid, and was not responsive. The sparky's main thought, as he kicked out the ladder, was "gee, I'll look pretty foolish if all is well!"
Then, as the victim continued to hang from the pipes, his thought had to be "hey- that's not what was supposed to happen! What do I do now?"
There really wasn't any clear thinking until the victim was down, and clearly not breathing, etc. Then it became a 'simple' matter of reviving him.
I suppose that's the one element of emergency response that is hardest to deal with; not being sure of what is happening.
