One man died and two others were rushed to the hospital when a power pole fell on transmission lines in Pinellas County Tuesday.
PINELLAS PARK, Fla. — Jesse Getford is familiar with all three linemen who suffered electric shocks on Tuesday in Pinellas County while they were putting up new power poles, but his closest connection is with Matt Waldrop, who encouraged him to join the lineman profession.
“He just mentioned, ‘It might be fun for you, you know, to spend time with the guys,’” Getford remembered Waldrop’s words. “We’d work together frequently, and it was always enjoyable. We kept the atmosphere light, and it was always a good time.”
Which is why he’s struggling to comprehend having to make a GoFundMe page for Waldrop while he remains hospitalized at Tampa General Hospital.
“Matt faces a long journey to recovery, but he has supportive friends, and everyone is rallying around him to help him regain full health,” Getford stated.
Officers arrived at a small power station beside Suncoast Chrysler Jeep Dodge on Park Boulevard North and 85th Lane after receiving a report about a man who had been electrocuted.
The sheriff’s office described that 30-year-old Justin Bryan was on the ground, assisting 27-year-old Jeff Busch and 31-year-old Matthew Waldrop with positioning a new pole. The crew members, together with the boom operator, encountered difficulties ensuring the pole was correctly placed.
According to deputies, the boom operator attempted to close the claw to secure the pole, but the claw struck one side of the pole, causing it to contact a power line.
Witnesses told 10 Tampa Bay they heard an explosion, which caused the ground to catch fire, sending smoke into the air.
Bryan was pronounced dead at the scene, while Busch and Waldrop were taken to a local hospital for severe burns.
A family friend set up a separate GoFundMe for Bryan, and another did the same for Busch.
The men worked as crew for Primoris Services Corporation, who were working as subcontractors for Duke Energy. A spokesperson for Primoris said:
“We express our deepest condolences to the affected employees and their loved ones. We are cooperating fully with relevant authorities as an investigation takes place and have launched our own internal review into today’s events. At this point, it is not possible to determine causation. Any commentary on the work being done under the contract would be premature until we have sufficient evidence.”
A Duke Energy spokesperson sent this statement regarding the incident:
“We are saddened by the tragic incident that happened today in Pinellas County involving Duke Energy contractors,” the statement read. “Our hearts go out to them, their family, communities and co-workers. The safety of our employees, contractors and customers is the highest priority at Duke Energy.”
The incident caused roughly 14,000 customers to lose their power; however, it has since been restored, according to the Duke Energy outages map.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was notified.
PCSO said the incident appears accidental and that there appears to be nothing suspicious, but the investigation is ongoing.
