Lineman Matt Simpson, 24, with East Coast Electric, electrocuted to death while changing a power pole in Robeson County, NC

Official identifies lineman who died after being electrocuted in Robeson Co. 
Thursday, August 10th 2017, 4:40 pm EDT
By Brad Dickerson, Digital Producer

ROBESON COUNTY, NC (WMBF) – A lineman died after being electrocuted while working on a line Wednesday morning in Robeson County, according to Sheriff Ken Sealey.

The lineman who died has been identified as 24-year-old Matt Simpson, according to Stephanie Chavis, the Robeson County Fire Marshall and Emergency Management Director.

The accident happened around 11 a.m. on Fire Tower Road in the Fairmont area. Simpson was rushed to Southeastern Regional Medical Center in Lumberton, where he later died, Sealey said.

Employees were changing out a power pole when the accident occurred, according to Jason Tyson with the North Carolina Department of Labor. While moving a "primary neutral" type power pole, there was an arc down through the pole to the ground, near where Simpson was standing, Tyson confirmed.

Sealey added Simpson was the only one injured in the incident. He was working with East Coast Electric in Pembroke.

OSHA is investigating the lineman's death, Tyson added.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and coworkers of the employee of East Coast Electric of Pembroke that was fatally injured yesterday. The contractor was working with Lumbee River EMC.

About Us

Lumbee River Electric Membership Corporation is a not for profit electric utility owned by the more than 50,000 members that we serve in Cumberland, Hoke, Robeson and Scotland counties. We currently serve more than 58,000 accounts, spanning more than 5,600 miles across those 4 eastern North Carolina counties.

Mission Statement:

"Lumbee River Electric Membership Corporation is a member owner-business. It is committed to providing electric and other value-added services that improve the quality of life in the communities we serve.

Our dedicated employee team delivers high quality, competitively priced products and services. We are committed to continuous improvement and to make Lumbee River EMC our customers' first choice."

Motto and Philosophy: Safety & Members First!

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RED SPRINGS — An electrical worker died Wednesday after coming into contact with an energized line while working in Robeson County.

The man, who has not been identified, was employed by East Coast Electric of Pembroke and was doing contractor work for Lumbee River Electric Membership Corp., a Lumbee River news release said.

The man was working off Old Wiregrass Road near Fairmont when the accident happened mid-morning, said Lumbee River spokesman Walter White.

It’s believed the man was doing routine work, White said.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the crews and team members of this individual, but most especially with his family,” said Steven Hunt, CEO and president of Lumbee River.

East Coast Electric employs 35 people, said Latasha Jacobs, the company’s office manager.

“We’ve been incorporated for 15 years and never had a fatality,” she said.

The state Department of Labor is investigating, as are East Coast Electric and Lumbee River EMC, the release said.

3 Texas boy scouts electrocuted to death after their Hobiecat Catamaran sailboat collided with a transmission powerline at Alley Creek, located on Lake O’ The Pines Marina near Avinger, Texas

A third Boy Scout died Monday after a sailboat carrying a group of Scouts struck an overhead power line on a lake east of Dallas.

• Thomas Larry, 11, was the third Boy Scout to die after an incident on Saturday
• Larry, Heath Faucheux, 16, and Will Brannon, 17, sailed into a power line
• Their boat struck an overhanging power line at Lake O'The Pines in Texas
• Faucheux and Brannon died at the scene, believed to been fatally electrocuted
• Larry was taken to the hospital in critical condition but he died on Monday
• A vigil was held for the boys, part of Troop 620 in Hallsville, Texas, on Sunday

The 11-year-old Scout had been hospitalized in Shreveport, Louisiana, since the accident Saturday afternoon, Texas Parks & Wildlife spokesman Steve Lightfoot said.

Two Boy Scouts, ages 16 and 18, died on Saturday at the scene. The 18-year-old was found dead onboard while the 16-year-old died in the water, according to a news release by the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD). Officials did not immediately release the Scouts' names.

East Texas Area Council Chief Executive Dewayne Stephens said after that accident that it was an “extremely difficult time” for the Scouting family.

“This is an extremely difficult time for our Scouting family. We are very sad to confirm the deaths of two youth participants following a boating incident,” Stephens added. “A third youth has been airlifted to an area hospital after sustaining injuries. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims’ families. We will support them in any way that we can.”

Preliminary investigations found that the sailboat collided with the transmission powerline and that those who died may have been electrocuted.

The three Scouts were members of Boy Scout Troop 620 from Hallsville, Texas. TPWD said they were all wearing personal flotation devices when the accident occurred.



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The tragic news of three Boy Scouts electrocuted on an East Texas lake is hitting home for a North Texas man.

Not only did his own brother die on the same lake more than 30 years ago, he too was electrocuted when his boat’s mast came into contact with a live wire.

For Tom Irwin, time has done little to heal his broken heart.

“Twins they say is half a person,” he said tearing up. “So, he was the other half.”

Losing his twin brother was made all the more difficult because of how it happened.

The then 35-year-old attorney was on a sailboat in Lake O’ The Pines near Avinger, Texas.

“He was motoring into the cove,” said Irwin. “When you hit bottom you put your motor in reverse and that’s what he did and was electrocuted 26 times.”

Irwin’s boat mast had come into contact with a power line.

Memories of that horrific day came flooding back last weekend.

“Last Saturday I got a call from my sister-in-law, Jerry’s wife, saying it happened again,” he said.

A sailboat with Boy Scouts was in the lake less than a mile from where Irwin’s brother was killed.

A preliminary investigation found their boat hit an overhead transmission line, electrocuting them.

“Now you’re talking about teenagers, Boy Scouts, innocent kids,” said Irwin.

He now questions Upshur Rural Electric Cooperation and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which owns and monitors the lake.

“How can you let this happen again,” he said.

Irwin says the wires were raised in the area where his brother was killed.

“Why they did not extend the height across the waterway all the way around I don’t know,” he added.

“Nobody should be at risk to get in a boat and get on the waterways and have to worry about whether someone’s done their homework,” said Irwin.

Texas Parks and Wildlife is leading the investigation into the death of the Boy Scouts.

However, spokesperson for the department told NBC 5 “we do not have the specifics of the wire height.”

The department referred NBC 5 to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for information about utilities on their property.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Fort Worth released a statement to NBC 5:

"First and foremost, regarding the tragic loss of three lives this past weekend, we want the families of these young men to know our thoughts, prayers and condolences are with them.

We consider any loss of life one too many and continue to place public safety above all else as priority one.

Reference the proper minimum required height for the power line over the lake, the required heights and other related specifics are a part of the ongoing investigation.


After the 1982 incident the Army Corps went through a stringent process to evaluate the appropriate height of the power line. These two incidents were not identical and occurred at different locations on the lake."

Upshur Rural Electric Cooperative did not return calls for information or a statement about the height of power lines at the lake.



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Texas Boy Scouts Electrocuted in Deadly Boating Accident

by Kalhan Rosenblatt


Two Boy Scouts died and another was hospitalized after their sailboat hit a power line on Saturday, according to officials.

The three boys — ages 11, 16, and 18 — are members of a Boy Scout troop from Hallsville, Texas, officials said. Authorities did not release the names of the victims.

It is believed the vessel, a Hobiecat Catamaran sailboat, collided with an overhead transmission power line and those aboard the boat were likely electrocuted, according to a Texas Parks & Wildlife Department press release.

The 16-year-old and 18-year-old were found in the water, dead, near the Catamaran, TPWD said.

Bystanders were able to bring the 11-year-old, who was unresponsive, onto a nearby boat and began performing CPR until authorities arrived.

When game wardens arrived on scene the Catamaran was on fire with the sails up about 300 yards north of the power lines, according to the TPWD.

“This is an extremely difficult time for our Scouting family. We are very sad to confirm the deaths of two youth participants following a boating incident. A third youth has been airlifted to an area hospital after sustaining injuries," the Boy Scouts of America's East Texas Area Council CEO Dewayne Stephens wrote in a statement.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims’ families. We will support them in any way that we can."

Staff at LSU Medical Center-Shreveport, where the surviving scout was reportedly airlifted, was unable to confirm the patient was in their care or what his status was, but said because he is a minor, his parents might have requested his information be kept private.

The incident happened at Alley Creek, located on Lake O’ The Pines Marina near Avinger, Texas, just before 2 p.m. on Saturday, according to the press release.

“I would like to thank the emergency teams who responded and assisted our Scouts and volunteers throughout this incident,” Stephens said in his statement.

The accident is being investigated by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s statewide boating accident reconstruction and mapping team, according to the release



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Enough.

Frankly, it was enough 35 years ago, when a respected Longview lawyer was killed as the mast of his sailboat came into contact with a power line overhanging Lake O' the Pines.

And it certainly is enough now that three promising young men have been killed in a sickeningly similar incident last weekend at the reservoir north of Longview.

The East Texas community — indeed the nation — has been horrified by the accident that took the lives of three Boy Scouts participating in an organized campout at the reservoir, just as members of Hallsville's Troop 620 have done every summer for years.

This time, though, the mast of the catamaran manned by two Eagle Scouts who were teaching a younger troop member to sail made contact with a power line strung across Alley Creek on the reservoir's north shore, electrocuting the boys.

One of the older Scouts was found dead on the boat, another was found in the water nearby. Both were killed instantly. The younger Scout apparently was thrown from the craft by the force of the electrical shock. He was quickly rescued but died later at a Shreveport medical center.

What a needless tragedy. And what a shame the same condition that took the life in 1982 of lawyer G. Brockett Irwin has been allowed to remain all these years later to take three more innocent lives. Lost were Scouts Will Brannon, 17; Heath Faucheaux, 16; and Thomas Larry, 11.

Enough.

It is past time for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which built and operates the reservoir, to do what should have been done many years ago: Require all power lines over navigable water to be raised to a safe height or removed.

Under a 1997 regulation, electric power transmission lines and communication lines over reservoirs must have a minimum vertical clearance of 52 feet where sailboats are commonly operated. But that requirement only goes into effect if existing lines are being replaced or new ones built. That exemption must be removed.

According to officials, the catamaran the Scouts were sailing has a mast that stands about 26.5 feet tall. That means the power line over the area could have been about half the required distance above the water.

We understand the Upshur County Rural Electric Cooperative line the Scouts' mast contacted could have been exempted under the 1997 regulations but still, we say, enough. The co-op and all others that operate lines over the reservoir must now either raise them or remove them.

The corps says there are numerous locations where power lines cross Lake O' the Pines and members of the Longview Yacht Club are regularly warned of at least three to avoid. But pity the sailor who, without benefit of such warnings, ventures into one of those areas, never to return. Pity, too, the captain whose well-known route is made deadly in a rainy season by high water levels that push his mast into a power line it otherwise would have cleared.

Enough.

The corps and utilities must finally do the right thing and either see that all transmission lines are raised to a sufficiently safe height — or relocated from above navigable waters.

We must not allow another tragedy to occur because of low power lines at Lake O' the Pines. We have seen enough.

https://www.news-journal.com/news/2017/aug/09/editorial-all-power-lines-at-lake-o-the-pines-must/



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Pictured: Three Boy Scouts aged 11 to 17 who died after sailing into an overhanging power line on Texas lake

• Thomas Larry, 11, was the third Boy Scout to die after an incident on Saturday
• Larry, Heath Faucheux, 16, and Will Brannon, 17, sailed into a power line
• Their boat struck an overhanging power line at Lake O'The Pines in Texas
• Faucheux and Brannon died at the scene, believed to been fatally electrocuted
• Larry was taken to the hospital in critical condition but he died on Monday
• A vigil was held for the boys, part of Troop 620 in Hallsville, Texas, on Sunday

By Cheyenne Roundtree and Regina F. Graham For Dailymail.com

Published: 18:36 EDT, 7 August 2017 | Updated: 18:42 EDT, 7 August 2017


Three Boy Scouts have died after a boat they were sailing in struck an overhanging power line while they were on a troop trip to a Texas lake.

Heath Faucheux, 16, and Will Brannon, 17, are believed to have been fatally electrocuted when their catamaran hit a power line at Lake O'The Pines, Texas, on Saturday.

Faucheux and Brannon were found dead at the scene and the voltage critically injured 11-year-old Thomas Larry, who was the third Boy Scout on the boat.

The young boy was rescued from the burning watercraft and rushed to Louisiana State University Medical Center in Shreveport in critical condition.

Larry, whose brother was also on the trip and witnessed the horror unfold, died of his severe injuries on Monday.



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Thomas Larry, 11, was the third Boy Scout to die after an incident at Lake O'The Pines, Texas, on Saturday. The young boy died of his injures on Monday after his boat struck an overhanging power line. Pictured: Larry (left) with his brother who witnessed the tragedy unfold from afar


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Will Brannon, 17, (left) and Heath Faucheux, 16, (right) are believed to have been fatally electrocuted when their catamaran hit the line on Saturday. They both were found dead at the scene, with Faucheux found floating in the water

Larry was unable to breathe on his own, had a blood transfusion, tested negative for brain function and was on life support before he died, according to his GoFundMe page and WKRG.com.

The boy's father Kedrick Larry released a statement that said: 'Sadly I have to report that Thomas lost his battle earlier today.

'First, I want to say how grateful we are for all the love and support we have received since this happened to Thomas. The response has been overwhelming.

'Everything that could have been done was, but it was God's will to call him home.'

A vigil was held in honor of Faucheux, Brannon and Larry, who at the time was still fighting for his life, in Hallsville, Texas, on Sunday night.



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A vigil was held in honor of Faucheux, Brannon and Larry, who at the time was still fighting for his life, in Hallsville, Texas, on Sunday night



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The boys were part of Boy Scout Troop 620 in Hallsville, Texas. Hundreds gathered for the somber candlelight vigil (pictured)

Brannon's mother shared the news of her son's death in a Facebook post.

She wrote: 'How do you even begin to write this… Our beloved son Will Brannon was involved in a boating accident on Saturday afternoon and has passed away.

'We are devastated by his loss. So many friends and family have surrounded us and the other families involved with their love, prayers and support. We truly appreciate this.'

Texas Governor Greg Abbott tweeted: 'A terrible tragedy. Our thoughts & prayers go out to the Boy Scouts & their families.'

Dewayne Stephens, the Scout Executive for the East Texas Area Council, issued a statement thanking emergency teams for their response.

It read: 'This is an extremely difficult time for our Scouting family. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims’ families. We will support them in any way that we can.'


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The boys were sailing in a catamaran when it struck the power line, setting the boat ablaze. Pictured: Larry (left) and Brannon (right)



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It wasn't clear Monday why the power line was overhanging the water, in proximity to boats

The boys, members of Troop 620 in Hallsville, were sailing in a catamaran when it struck the power line at Lake O'The Pines near Avinger, 150 miles from Dallas.

All three were wearing flotation devices.

Daniel Anderson, Assistant Scout Executive for the East Texas Area Council, said a Scout leader reached the boat within minutes but the two older boys were already dead.

Anderson said the trio was just off shore when the catamaran struck the line operated by Upshur Rural Electric Cooperative.

Larry was found unresponsive 'in a boat nearby' and was given CPR by 'good Samaritans,' a statement from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department reads.

Anderson said other Scouts were at a camp site on private land and it immediately became apparent to them that the three were in distress.



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The tragic incident happened at Lake O'The Pines in Texas, around 150 miles east outside of Dallas (file above)

Another boat nearby gathered the 11-year-old and took him to shore to an awaiting ambulance.

'There's literally hundreds of campouts like this every year in East Texas and nothing like this ever happens,' Anderson said.

It wasn't clear Monday why the power line was overhanging the water, in proximity to watercraft.

Texas Parks & Wildlife spokesman Steve Lightfoot said no other details of the accident would be released Monday while a reconstruction of the events is conducted by investigators.

Rob Walker, general manager of Upshur Rural Electric Cooperative, said in a statement that the company is working to determine what happened.

'We are cooperating in the investigation and will assist in the process as it goes forward,' he said.

21-year old worker crushed to death when a slab of granite fell on him at NCO Custom Marble & Granite in Raleigh, NC

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - A 21-year-old employee of a North Carolina custom counter shop died when a slab of granite fell on him.

State Department of Labor spokesman Jason Tyson tells local media outlets the accident occurred about 12:15 p.m. Friday at NCO Custom Marble & Granite in Raleigh.

The worker's name has not yet been released.

Traci Hobcroft, a spokeswoman for the family-owned business, says the employee is related to the owners.

Tyson says the 11-year-old company has had no previous workplace safety violations.



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Friday, August 11, 2017 09:59PM
RALEIGH (WTVD) -- Police have confirmed that one person is dead following an incident at a Raleigh business.

On Friday, around 12:20 p.m., officers were called to NCO Custom Marble & Granite, located in the 8000 block of Gulf Court, after reports of an injured person. The building's owner told ABC11 the person killed was a 21-year-old man.

When officers arrived, they found that one employee had been killed after a slab of granite fell on top of him.

Officials tell ABC11 that the employee is the owner's nephew; however, they have not released his name.

A second person was injured in the incident; police say he/she is in the hospital in stable, non-life-threatening condition.

The company has released this statement:

"We have suffered an accident at our facility today at approximately 12:30 p.m. There has been one fatality and another individual injured. The accident has been reported to OSHA. We are a small family owned business and trying to deal with this tragedy. We ask for your patience, prayers and that you give us the space and time to further investigate. We will release more information as it becomes available. Thank you very much for your patience and understanding"
According to OSHA records, similar incidents have occurred to other like business in Raleigh before; the most recent being in July of 2015.


According to the NC Secretary of State's office, NCO has been operating since 2007; a search through state and federal records found no citations or complaints against the company.

City officials said since the incident occurred at a work place, the NC Department of Labor will hold an investigation.

A one-foot slab of granite cut an inch deep weighs on average about 18 pounds; a slab, measured at 65-70 feet could weigh at least 1,100 pounds

VIOLENT PROTESTS IN VIRGINIA TAKE ITS TOLL: Lieutenant H. Jay Cullen, 48, of Midlothian, Va., and Trooper-Pilot Berke M.M. Bates of Quinton, Va., died after their Bell 407 Virginia State Police helicopter crashed and burned into a wooded area in Charlottesville, Virginia

VSP Mourn Loss of Aviation Personnel

RICHMOND – Virginia State Police are investigating a helicopter crash in Albemarle County.

Shortly before 5 p.m. Saturday (Aug. 12), a Virginia State Police helicopter crashed into a wooded area near a residence on Old Farm Road. The Bell 407 helicopter was assisting public safety resources with the ongoing situation in Charlottesville.

The pilot, Lieutenant H. Jay Cullen, 48, of Midlothian, Va., and Trooper-Pilot Berke M.M. Bates of Quinton, Va., died at the scene.

No one on the ground was injured.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation at this time by state police, the FAA and NTSB. There is no indication of foul play being a factor in the crash.

“Our state police and law enforcement family at-large are mourning this tragic outcome to an already challenging day,” said Colonel W. Steven Flaherty, Virginia State Police Superintendent. “Lieutenant Cullen was a highly-respected professional aviator and Trooper-Pilot Bates was a welcome addition to the Aviation Unit, after a distinguished assignment as a special agent with our Bureau of Criminal Investigation. Their deaths are a tremendous loss to our agency and the Commonwealth.”

Lieutenant Cullen graduated from the Virginia State Police Academy in May 1994 as a member of the 90th Basic Session. He first joined the Virginia State Police Aviation Unit in 1999. Lieutenant Cullen is survived by his wife and two sons.

Trooper-Pilot Bates would have turned 41 years old Sunday, Aug. 13. He graduated from the Virginia State Police Academy in August 2004 as a member of the 107th Basic Session. He had just transferred to the Aviation Unit as a Trooper-Pilot in July. Trooper-Pilot Bates is survived by his wife, a son and a daughter.
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WASHINGTON, DC — Two troopers are dead after a Virginia State Police helicopter crashed near Charlottesville around 5 p.m. Saturday.   The Birdwood Golf Course is nearby and several people witnessed the crash from there.

The helicopter was assisting law enforcement officers monitor the violent clashes throughout the city, according to police.

Lt. H. Jay Cullen of Midlothian and Trooper-Pilot Berke M.M. Bates of Quinton were killed in the crashed. No was on the ground was injured.

The cause of the crash is under investigation, police say, but there is no indication of foul play, according to a statement.

Virginia State Police Superintendent Col. W. Steven Flaherty said that the department is “mourning this tragic outcome.”

Condolences have poured in the offices of Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe and local law enforcement agencies. McAuliffe in a statement described Bates and Cullen as close friends and trusted members of the governor’s team.

President Donald Trump offered his condolences in a tweet.

The Albemarle County Board of Supervisors issued a statement praising the courage of public safety officers and local residents who offered aid and care during the day.

Cullen joined the aviation unit in 1999. Bates, who would have been 41 on Aug. 13, transferred to the unit last July.


Date: 12-AUG-2017
Time: 17:00LT
Type:
Bell 407
Owner/operator: Virginia State Police department
Registration:

C/n / msn:

Fatalities: Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Other fatalities: 0
Airplane damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location: near a golf course in Charlottesville, Virginia - United States of America
Phase:

Nature: Survey
Departure airport:

Destination airport:



Narrative:
A statement of the Virginia State Police said:

'Shortly before 5pm today (August 12), a helicopter crashed into a wooded area near a residence on Old Farm Road. There are two confirmed fatalities.
'No one on the ground was injured. The cause of the crash remains under investigation at this time. State police are on scene with Albemarle County police and fire units.'

Sources:

https://www.facebook.com/VirginiaStatePolice/posts/10155947461910101