(Photo: Lt. Dan Mayer, Grand County Sheriff's Office)
Coworkers save lineman shocked by powerline
Janet Oravetz, KUSA 10:17 PM. MDT October 20, 2016
GRAND COUNTY, COLORADO - A worker with Mountain Parks Electric, Inc., is expected to make a full recovery despite being shocked by a power line Wednesday afternoon.
"It went all the way through him, there was an entry and an exit," Lt. Dan Meyer with the Grand County Sheriff's Office said. "He had a burn on his foot."
The accident happened around 3 p.m. while Adam Paulson, 31, and other workers were replacing a power pole near Parshall according to Lt. Dan Mayer with the Grand County Sheriff's Office.
It's not clear how Paulson came into contact with the wire, but Mountain Parks Electric says about 500 amps of electricity went through his body. Immediately afterward two coworkers began CPR and then used an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) to shock him. He was awake and talking when emergency responders arrived.
"He was sitting there, if you looked at him you'd think he was a little dazed but that was it," said Lt. Mayer.
Paulson was taken by helicopter to University of Colorado Hospital. Mountain Parks Electric says Paulson is doing well and is not expected to have any long-term effects from the accident.
A worker was taken by helicopter to a hospital after coming into contact with a power line at a work site. (Photo: Lt. Dan Mayer, Grand County Sheriff's Office)
Lt. Mayer says Paulson is extremely lucky his coworkers had the life saving equipment and knew how to use it because the accident happened in a remote location with spotty cell phone service.
The sheriff's office plans to recognize Paulson's coworkers for their efforts.
Mountain Parks Electric says it has a strong safety program that includes training all of their employees to use AEDs and supplying them on all of their trucks.
"The crew members put that training to use in saving this man's life," said Scott Simmons, assistant manager for MPE. "We could not be more proud of these men."