BELLBROOK -- A man is flown by CareFlight to the hospital after he's burned by high-voltage power lines while trimming a tree. Careflight landed in a Bellbrook neighborhood near the intersection of Lakeview and Wead Place around 7 p.m. Monday.
Firefighters say the tree trimmer was rushed to the hospital with burns to almost 80 percent of his body. He somehow got tangled up in the power lines and was burned for about 20 minutes. It's an accident that traumatized the entire neighborhood.
"It was really scary. I didn't know what was happening," said neighbor Sydney Hollingsworth.
A private contractor who was trimming a tree somehow got tied up in power lines and was burned. Firefighters say he was still burning but conscious when they arrived. The only thing emergency crews could do for several minutes was talk to him from a distance as they waited for DP&L to shut the power off.
"He remained upside-down and was able to pull himself up onto the tree and help us get him down so we could CareFlight him," said Bellbrook Fire Capt. Athena Haus.
We were there as the man was quickly wheeled up to the chopper and taken away with injuries that firefighters described as catastrophic.
"Just scarier that it was so close. You probably never thought CareFlight would be landing in your front yard. No, that was definitely more like a movie scene rather than just my neighborhood," said neighbor Shannon Hollingsworth.
Firefighters say the man was wearing a safety harness and ropes. It's unclear how the accident happened. OSHA is conducting an investigation to figure that out.
"We all know it's very dangerous, but this has definitely proved that tonight," Capt. Haus said.
Emergency crews say the tree trimmer worked for Mid-Ohio Forestry. One of their pickup trucks was parked in front of the home where the accident happened. Our calls to the company for comment were not returned.
Earlier coverage:
BELLBROOK -- A worker from Mid Ohio Forestry was on the job trimming trees when he became tangled in a power line. He was near the top of the tree when the incident occurred.
The man was initially shocked, but he then fell onto a secondary line where he remained trapped for about 20 minutes.
When crews arrived on the scene the man was able to help untangle himself.
The Bellbrook Fire Department has called his injuries "catastrophic." He has been taken by CareFlight to Miami Valley Hospital.
Firefighters say the tree trimmer was rushed to the hospital with burns to almost 80 percent of his body. He somehow got tangled up in the power lines and was burned for about 20 minutes. It's an accident that traumatized the entire neighborhood.
"It was really scary. I didn't know what was happening," said neighbor Sydney Hollingsworth.
A private contractor who was trimming a tree somehow got tied up in power lines and was burned. Firefighters say he was still burning but conscious when they arrived. The only thing emergency crews could do for several minutes was talk to him from a distance as they waited for DP&L to shut the power off.
"He remained upside-down and was able to pull himself up onto the tree and help us get him down so we could CareFlight him," said Bellbrook Fire Capt. Athena Haus.
We were there as the man was quickly wheeled up to the chopper and taken away with injuries that firefighters described as catastrophic.
"Just scarier that it was so close. You probably never thought CareFlight would be landing in your front yard. No, that was definitely more like a movie scene rather than just my neighborhood," said neighbor Shannon Hollingsworth.
Firefighters say the man was wearing a safety harness and ropes. It's unclear how the accident happened. OSHA is conducting an investigation to figure that out.
"We all know it's very dangerous, but this has definitely proved that tonight," Capt. Haus said.
Emergency crews say the tree trimmer worked for Mid-Ohio Forestry. One of their pickup trucks was parked in front of the home where the accident happened. Our calls to the company for comment were not returned.
Earlier coverage:
BELLBROOK -- A worker from Mid Ohio Forestry was on the job trimming trees when he became tangled in a power line. He was near the top of the tree when the incident occurred.
The man was initially shocked, but he then fell onto a secondary line where he remained trapped for about 20 minutes.
When crews arrived on the scene the man was able to help untangle himself.
The Bellbrook Fire Department has called his injuries "catastrophic." He has been taken by CareFlight to Miami Valley Hospital.