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Mountain Parks lineman saved by quick thinking coworkers

A Flight for Life helicopter swoops in for a landing on US Highway 40 after an electric lineman from Mountain Parks Electric was severely shocked Wednesday afternoon.
Courtesy photo

A Flight for Life Helicopter was called in to Grand County Wednesday afternoon Oct. 19 at around 3 p.m. after a worker for Mountain Parks Electric (MPE) was electrocuted while working on power lines near Parshall.

The individual was quite lucky though as other MPE workers who were on the scene at the time of the electrocution began CPR immediately and used an automated external defibrillator (AED) to shock the man back to life.

The man was conscience, walking and talking with first responders as he was taken out of Grand County via Flight for Life to the University of Colorado Burn Center. Officials are taking the precaution of sending the man to the University Burn Center because of the amount of electricity that went through his body when the electrocution occurred.

Lieutenant Dan Mayer with the Grand County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the incident Wednesday afternoon and praised the quick thinking and life saving efforts of the workers from MPE who saved the life of the electrocuted man.

“These guys did a phenomenal job,” Mayer said. “They did exactly what needed to be done. There are no two ways about it. Their quick thinking and actions brought him back.”

Mayer referred to the incident Wednesday afternoon as a “perfect storm” in a positive sense. According to Mayer after the worker was electrocuted his coworkers began CPR and used the AED to bring him back. In another stroke of luck a Grand County EMS ambulance just happened to be passing by at the time of the incident and workers from MPE were able to flag the vehicle down for assistance. “They (the EMS ambulance crew) were there almost immediately,” Mayer said.

The incident occurred on US Highway 40 west of Byers Canyon between Parshall and Kremmling in the vicinity of mile marker 194.

Scott Simmons, Assistant Manager for MPE, was on the scene Wednesday afternoon but could not release additional details because of an MPE investigation into the incident. “We are currently doing an investigation on this incident,” Simmons said. “I can’t say anything until we have completed our investigation.”


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