25.05.2007

Electrocution at theme park

One man died and another is dangerously ill in hospital after they brushed against a 7,200 volt power line at Seattle’s Wild Waves theme park on Monday.

Dave Kessler 28, and his colleague Steven Uplinger, 19 were working for Metzker Communications, which was subcontracted by Inter-Tel to work on the park's phone and fiber-optic system. The park is due to open for the summer season on June 9th.

The two men had been working at the park for three weeks and were using in a Genie Z-45 and were around six metres up, when they are said to have brushed against the high tension power line, which was behind them.

Kessler took the power jolt directly though his back and is said to have died almost immediately, while Uplinger, a part-time employee working his way through college, was badly burnt. He was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, where he was originally listed in critical condition but has improved since.
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Emergency services at the Wild Water Park

Re-opening work at the park was put on hold on Monday as the Department of Labor and Industries carried out an investigation of the incident.

Labor and Industries spokesman Steve Pierce said agency inspectors will investigate whether Metzger and other companies working at the park were following safety procedures before the incident.

Kessler was said to be a very careful worker. Mark Knapp, vice president of Metzker said. " I don't think he ever made a mistake, he just had his first traffic ticket this year. Everything was going normal, and it just was a simple mistake. We take that chance every time we get into a lift."

Kessler would have been married for four years in June, he leaves a three old daughter and 10 year old step-son that he was scheduled to be take on a school camping trip this weekend.
He was also due to leave Metzker for a new job that offered more hours to help pay for a new home that he and his wife were building.
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The late David Kessler

His mother Virginia Kessler paints a picture of an ideal son, she says she is thankful that her son ended every conversation by telling her how much he loved her, as he did on Sunday, the last time she spoke with him.

"David always said, 'You never know what might happen, mom. and I want to make sure that the last words I say to you are I love you.'"

Mrs Kessler says her son was well-versed in fiber optic work -- but
may not have had much experience working in a cherry picker.
The Washington State Department of Labor and Industries is investigating. They say that Metzker has no history of safety violations