Gregory Patterson
Wildlife officer on bicycle electrocuted by downed power line on Courtney Campbell Causeway
A bicyclist died when he came into a contact with a live power line along the Courtney Campbell Causeway just before 7 a.m. Wednesday, investigators said. OCTAVIO JONES | Times
By Tony Marerro
Times Staff Writer
Published: July 13, 2016
TAMPA — A live, overhead power line that killed a bicyclist Wednesday morning on the Courtney Campbell Causeway may have been down for seven hours after Tampa Electric Co. first received a report of an electrical outage in the area.
Gregory Patterson, a 47-year-old off-duty officer with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, was riding his bicycle on the paved recreational path near Whiskey Joe’s Bar & Grill around 6:40 a.m. when he came into contact with the downed line, Tampa police said. Patterson, of Tampa, was electrocuted.
Some seven hours earlier, at 10:50 p.m. Tuesday, a manager at Whiskey Joe’s called TECO’s automated help line to report a partial outage at the restaurant, said Marty Duffany, a manager at the restaurant. The power went out in parts of the restaurant about 8:30 p.m. as a fierce thunderstorm raged outside, Duffany said.
A manager first called a private electrician, who said there were no problems at the restaurant. The manager then made the TECO call, Duffany said.
He and his staff were stunned to wake up to the news that a bicyclist had been electrocuted right outside their restaurant.
“It’s really upsetting that happened,” Duffany said. “We did our part and called. I think something definitely went wrong.”
TECO spokeswoman Cherie Jacobs said the company was investigating but acknowledged it’s possible the line went down at 8:30 p.m. Tuesday when the power went out at Whiskey Joe’s. Jacobs said TECO didn’t learn of the downed line until fire-rescue crews trying to help Patterson called the utility.
“It’s possible that the outage happened before the line went down or it’s possible the line went down and caused the outage,” Jacobs said. “It’s clearly something we want to get to the bottom of.”
Whiskey Joe’s power didn’t come on until about 12:20 p.m. Wednesday, after crews removed Patterson’s body.
The downed line was a primary power line for the area and caused streetlight outages on and around the Courtney Campbell Causeway, Jacobs said.
The downed wire was still in contact with Patterson’s body when Tampa Fire Rescue crews arrived, so Tampa Electric workers were called to turn off the power. When rescue workers were able to approach Patterson, he was dead, police said.
The body and bicycle, covered by a pink sheet, were still lying on the side of the trail when Joey Adams, a 50-year-old Clearwater cyclist on his morning ride, rolled up to the scene.
“My first reaction was that could have been me,” Adams said. “I just paused for a minute and grieved because if he suits up and grinds on any type of bike, I feel like I knew him, in a way.”
Eastbound traffic on the Courtney Campbell Causeway was restricted from three lanes to one lane to make room for TECO and emergency crews.
Patterson was an active duty officer with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission and was up for a lifesaving award from Tampa Police Department for rescuing three people Sunday after their jet ski capsized near the Gandy Bridge, police said.
The south side of the causeway is popular among bicyclists as the location of the Courtney Campbell Trail, a paved path that runs 9.5 miles from the Veterans Expressway in Tampa to Bayshore Boulevard in Clearwater.
Nearby Ben T. Davis Beach is a main parking area and access point for bicyclists and pedestrians using the trail.
Tampa police say Patterson made a heroic rescue just three days before he was killed.
Patterson and fellow FWC officer Richard Dearborn responded to a call Sunday afternoon about a capsized jet ski. Three people were struggling in the water near Gandy Bridge and were being carried by the current, according to an account released by Tampa police Wednesday.
While police officers helped keep the people from drifting away, Patterson jumped in to help the person who was struggling the most. Officers helped all three people into the boat and they were taken to shore to be checked out by paramedics.
A statement from FWC called Patterson as “a steadfast guardian of public safety and a champion of conservation law enforcement.” He especially enjoyed teaching children in classrooms about conservation and the natural world, according to the statement.
“Our entire FWC family is in mourning for Greg,” FWC Colonel Curtis Brown said in the statement. “We will never forget his service and sacrifice, and can never repay that debt to his family. He was a true public servant at heart, and we will miss him deeply.”
Patterson’s death marks the second time in two days that contact with power lines delivered a dangerous shock in Tampa.
Two tree trimmers in South Tampa were hospitalized Tuesday afternoon after their ladder came in contact with power lines, Tampa Fire Rescue reported.