Electrician shocked by 7,200 volts in Hickman expected to survive
The licensed electrician from West Point survived a shock strong enough to kill him.
HICKMAN, Neb. (KOLN) - A licensed electrician shocked by 7,200 volts Wednesday afternoon is expected to survive.
Lancaster County Chief Deputy Ben Houchin said a 67-year-old man from West Point was working to resolve power outages for the city of Hickman around 2:10 p.m. when his arm touched the transformer. The voltage went through his knees and he was knocked to the ground unconscious.
A nearby city employee was at the scene and quickly got the contractor medical attention, according to Chief Deputy Houchin.
Deputies and the Hickman Rural Fire and Rescue squad responded and the man was flown to CHI Health St. Elizabeth in Lincoln.
Houchin said he has burns but is expected to survive.
“He is very lucky,” Houchin said. “What we’re hearing on this, and through the investigation, is a lot of people that receive this kind of voltage shock do not make it.”
Chief Deputy Houchin said that a later investigation revealed that there were three underground circuits that went into the transformer and the electrician likely did not undo one.
He added that another electrical company fixed the transformer following the incident.
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