OT: Another reason to look UP!

"A local man was injured when the crop sprayer he was working on made contact with a 7200 volt overhead line. The accident happened when he was connecting a hose to a tank on the sprayer from a nearby semi-truck. The operator of the sprayer, which was parked directly below the power line raised the sprayer boom, and touched the line... The victim suffered electrical burns to both arms and legs. Three of the four tires on the sprayer blew out and started fires. The incident caused a power outage in the area..."

Lifted the dump body to dump yard waste to be composted...then proceded to have a brain fart and drove forward while dumping the contents into 3 phase lines than run cross-country to supply the next town west of us. Probably 7200 volt.

He jumped clear uninjured.

The truck wasn't so lucky.

It's recommended practice when you have a brush fire with any appreciable smoke to not fight it under the High Lines (high voltage transmission lines)...just get it on either side of the ROW and make a fire line across the ROW ahead of the flames.

Same thing -- heavy smoke will cause them to arc to ground. We have a 345Kv transmission line that runs east-west and a 2 circuit 110Kv Transmission line that runs north-south through our district.

Knocked power out for few of us and being a nice day we (Dad & I) went to investigate. Found the driver in the cab just going BEZSERK!! He was freaking out due the LIVE power lines being draped across his truck and the load of logs.

Dad calmed him down and went to closet house and called the cops (no cell phones then, wish the same now). Cops arrived and they were trying to calm the driver down as he had been sitting for over an hr. VFD showed up and said they were working with the power company to get the lines disabled. Not sure why but the fella assumed he ok to get out.

I remember vividly everybody SCREAMING at him to STAY IN THE TRUCK!!! Power is not yet cut off. He proceeded to step out of the cab and onto the footstep saying "See, all is ok."

His next step was on the hard road while holding onto the truck. He completed the circuit and did a vicious St. Vitus dance for about 30 sec.

After that he flopped to the ground and remained until power was disconnected. VFD staff revived him. He survived but it knocked silver dollar size holes in his back, his feet and generally scrambled him.

He lived but not sure if he recovered fully or disabled. I will never forget that and as such I am leary of high power lines.

That'll make ya late fer the dance. Probably won't be anymore little cowboys around that campfire either. :>)

Allan