2 Linesmen Survive Electrocution
Two men remain hospitalized after enduring a horrible and dangerous incident on Monday. A pair of linesmen, employed by the Cayo Television Network, was electrocuted while they were working on cable lines in San Jose Succotz in the west. The men were jolted by electricity when their ladder touched a high tension wire. The two were flung to the ground and fortunately for them, a witness to the incident rushed to assist them. Here is News Five’s Duane Moody with a report.
Duane Moody, Reporting
Two linesmen employed with Cayo Television Network remain hospitalized in a stable condition at the Western Regional Hospital after they were electrocuted on Monday afternoon. Jeffrey Guerra and Russel Muschamp were running cable lines in San Jose Succotz Village when the metal ladder they were using to clear a palm tree made contact with a high tension wire. The shock flung them to the ground.
Javier Gutierrez
Javier Gutierrez, PR, Alternative Networks
“Every so often, wire would break and the workers would have to go and replace them. One of the fibre lines in San Jose Succotz yesterday popped for some odd crazy unknown reason so the guys had to replace them. There was a tree that was on the way of that wire going up so what the guys did was put a wire up to go above or beyond the tree and the ladder touched the high tension wire. So that automatically just hit them and they got burnt.”
The incident occurred around two-thirty p.m. and was witnessed by Albert Williams, who lives right in front of where the men were working. He recounts what happened and without hesitation ran to their aid.
Albert Williams, Resident, San Jose Succotz Village
“I mi di stand up on the verandah and watch them stretching the cable. They had a two-way ladder and they hook up the cable on the first post over deh and right yah weh this palm tree deh, dehn mi have the ladder and put the cable on top of the ladder. And the pickup way dah di corner di pull it. Two bally mi stretch the ladder; one mi di hold it from halfway and the the other mi di brace it with ih foot fi make it could stand up straight. The ladder touch the high tension and then I hear the sound bzzz and then pop and when I hear the burst I see fire and at the same time dehn drop back way and dehn noh di move, so me and mi wife run out to try see weh happen. When we reach there, they were in pure sunlight knock out. And I notice that one of them on the hand mi burn and peel, but none of them di respond. So I hold one of them from under ih shoulder and put ahn fi sit down and I start to knock ahn on ih chest fi ih heart start to beat back again and ih come back. And the first thing ih holler is that ih water water; that he is thirsty.”
Guerra and Muschamp were placed inside the company pickup truck and rushed to the San Ignacio Community Hospital. They were further taken to the Western Regional Hospital and expected to be released on Wednesday. Public Relations Officer Javier Gutierrez says that safety standards are in place.
Javier Gutierrez
“According to the office they are doing very well; they are stable and let’s cross our fingers that nothing internally would be damaged on them.”
Duane Moody
“Is the company looking into safety going forward for the linesmen?”
Javier Gutierrez
“It is something that the company has been talking about and they try as well to implement, but sometimes staff members would forget a helmet or try not to use. But yes, that’s one of the standards that the company will definitely try to implement, coming very soon. Safety standards, one of the key aspects of a company like this to survive and to do everything the right way.”
Duane Moody for News Five.
