Electrically shocked man to leave hospital
Published 8:20 am Friday, September 30, 2011
Workers with the Hooper Corporation and Austin Utilities investigate the site of an incident late Monday afternoon at the Austin Utilities and SMMPA North Utility Plant near Todd Park that sent one of Hooper's to the hospital and left nearly all of Austin without power for more than an hour. - Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
The 54-year-old contractor who was electrically shocked in an incident that knocked out power in Austin on Sept. 12 is scheduled to be released from the hospital soon, according to a spokeswoman for his company.
Anne Bailey, sales manager for Aline-EDS, where the contractor works, said the man is doing very well and will be released within days. Bailey was unable to release the man’s name.
The incident occurred around 3:30 p.m. Sept. 12, when the man came into contact with a 69,000-volt breaker while doing electrical upgrades at the Austin Utilities and SMMPA (Southern Minnesota Municipal Power Association) North Utility Plant.
Police Chief Brian Krueger previously said the man was taken in Mayo One to Regions Hospital in St. Paul for first-degree and second-degree burns covering his arms and other areas of his body.
The man is from Ohio and was contracted by Hooper Corp. to conduct maintenance and electrical upgrades at the North Utility Plant, according to Mark Nibaur, Austin Utilities general manager.
The power outage, lasting from 3:20 p.m. until about 4:30 p.m., left about 75 percent of Austin without electricity.
