Author - Sign Darrell
Submitted By -Lightning Strike
Southwest Area;We have a two team trouble call crew that is on call for a week 24 hours a day. A thunderstorm had hit an area and knocked out a transformer.The trouble call people we're en route to that area.One of the trouble call lineman got there first, so while he was waiting for the other guy to get there,he decided to climb the pole and start disconnecting the secondary on the transformer without any rubber gloves or hot line stick.There was no rain or clouds at that area,but that storm that knocked out the transformer had moved about 5 miles away. While he was disconnecting his leads,he was leaning on the neutral wire when he was electrocuted on the arm and under his arm and on his side.When that happened the other lineman was just driving up to the transformer pole.The lineman up the pole yelled to the guy at the bottom of the pole,"I just got hit by lightning,I can't feel my arm, and it smells like burned meat". After getting the lineman down from the pole he was airlifted out to a hospital where his second degree burns were treated for about a week.There were no permanent damage done physically ,he was very lucky! It appears the thunderstorm that was 5 miles away was very active with lot's of lightning and striking the power line sending the current down the line. After the victim was sent to the hospital we tried to finish the job.You could hear and feel the lightning coming down the line.If any of you ever hear it ,you know what I mean!We were wearing our rubber gloves but we thought it would be safer if we just waited until all the storm subsided with all the lightning and all.That was about a 3 hour wait .We explained to the consumer and they understood,everything worked out well after that.
Sign Darrell Antone Tohono O'odham Utility Authority