Quick response by co-workers may have saved a man’s life after he was electrocuted while rolling up an old power line in Okotoks on Monday morning.

STARS Air Ambulance paramedics load a 24-year-old male into the helicopter after he was electrocuted in an accident on Monday morning. photo by Cheyanne Murray

“They knew what to do and it helped save his life,” said Okotoks RCMP Const. Scott Kelly.

According to Kelly, just before 10 a.m. the victim was rolling up an old power line that had been removed from power poles along Centre Avenue near Sandstone Lodge in Okotoks.

The line was not live, but Kelly said the 24-year-old male tugged on the line and it flipped up making contact with live wires above.

“By all accounts and witness statements, it was an accident,” he said. “It just seems to be one of those things.”

Kelly said the shock stopped the man’s heart.

The man’s co-workers performed CPR and continued until emergency personnel arrived. Upon arriving on scene, Okotoks firefighters and paramedics used a defibrillator to start his heart pumping again.

His coworkers were visibly shaken after the incident, but RCMP credited the quick response by workers at the scene and emergency personnel for likely saving the victim’s life.

Foothills Regional EMS superintendent Greg Anderson said the man was in critical condition when emergency personnel arrived, requiring advanced life support and STARS Air Ambulance was called to the scene.

“We were able to stabilize him and then we flew him out to Foothills Hospital in critical condition, but alive,” he said.

Anderson was unsure about the victim’s prognosis after the incident.

“Right now is hard to say because of the type of injury,” he said, adding his chances of survival are better because of the care he received at the scene.

Robyn Crawford, FortisAlberta communications manager, said the individual was working for an independent contractor hired to work on the power lines in the area.

She said the company didn’t have any additional information on his condition as of noon Monday.

“We’re just thinking about this individual and hoping to hear good news,” Crawford said. “It’s good to hear his co-workers there put their safety training to use to help save his life.”

She said safety is the top priority for anyone working around electricity and everyone working at the site would have received training in how to respond to the situation.

The work was being done to replace aging power lines in the area.

Crawford said the line was first installed in the 1970s and new poles and lines were being installed.

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