A man in Florida has died after being electrocuted while trimming trees.
On Thursday, June 27, a man in Hudson, near Tampa Bay, was trimming palm trees at around 3 p.m. local time when he may have come into contact with nearby power lines, according to a press release from the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, as well as reports from the Tampa Bay Times and local affiliate station FOX 13.
The man, who has not been publicly identified by officials, was working by himself at the intersection of Maria Drive and Sea Ranch Drive, using an elevated bucket. One neighbor who saw the incident from his garage told FOX 13 that his death happened in a matter of seconds.
“I was working in the garage and heard all these electrical explosions, like transformers,” neighbor Henry Foytik recalled, adding that he even saw the man’s waistband on fire.
“I look across the street and see big balls of sparks go down,” Foytik added. “The guy is hanging off the side [of the bucket], just hanging off the side from the waist down.”
Medical personnel attempted to monitor the man’s heart, but he had already died, Foytik added.
According to the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, the incident caused power in the area to go out temporarily. The Withlacoochee River Electric Company restored power to the area soon after.
FOX reported that the Pasco County Fire Rescue also responded to the incident.
“This was an isolated incident and no foul play is suspected,” the Pasco Sheriff’s Office said in its statement. “There is no public safety threat. The investigation remains ongoing.”
According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), more people are killed while felling trees — or cutting down trees — than during any other logging activity. However, there are many ways to prevent these incidents.
Anyone planning to trim or remove trees should take extreme precautions around power lines, and assume that “all power lines are energized,” the organization said.
“Contact the utility company to discuss de-energizing and grounding or shielding of power lines,” OSHA added. “All tree trimming or removal work within 10 feet of a power line must be done by trained and experienced line-clearance tree trimmers.”
Additionally, OSHA recommends that people planning to trim trees should eliminate hazards in the vicinity, should never turn their back on a falling tree and should not work in dangerous weather conditions.
