06.09.2019

Platform electrocution

A man was killed in Naples, Florida last Saturday, while he was trimming trees from a truck mounted work platform.

According to the local police, the man, Walter Ward, 38 was working at a height of just over 10 metres, and using a chain saw to cut branches away from the power lines. He was working with two colleagues who were on the ground at the time, it seems that Ward operated too close to the power lines and cut into a branch that was resting on the power lines. His co workers saw it all happen and tried to lower the platform but when it looked as though they were making the situation worse, waited for the emergency services to arrive. They managed to bring the platform down and found that while one of his hands was badly burnt, he had a pulse and was rushed to hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Investigators impounded the bucket truck and were interviewing witnesses. The utility linesmen cut the power and cut away the branches before restoring power to the local area.