THUNDER BAY – A man was rushed to hospital after being electrocuted while trimming trees on Kensington Drive.
A witness said the victim, an employee with Arbor Tech Expert Tree Service hired by the homeowner, was screaming after being rescued. Another neighbour said he arrived outside after the fact and saw the victim writhing in agony before he was whisked away to hospital.
Thunder Bay Fire Rescue Platoon Chief Mark Ferrence said they received a call for a possible electrocution at about 11:30 a.m.
"There was a person in the tree dangling from his harness. Thunder Bay Fire Rescue contacted hydro and made sure that hydro was disconnected. They went up on a ladder and successfully did a tree-top rescue and lowered the worker to the ground. The worker was apparently trimming some branches and the branches came in contact with some high-tension wires. He went to grab the branch to clear off the lines and got electrocuted," Ferrence said.
"He was unconcscious when our crew got to him. He regained consciousness on the ground and was put into the ambulance and transported to Thunder Bay Regional. Injuries at this time are undetermined."
Synergy North crews, along with investigators from the Ministry of Labour, were on scene after the incident, which left nearby Northwood residents without power for more than an hour.
The ministry issued a stop-work order against the homeowner
Synergy North president Robert Mace confirmed an incident had occurred, which necessitated a power outage to allow emergency service crews to work.
