A man working in a tree in Escondido on Thursday morning who was rushed to the hospital after getting shocked by a high-power line later died of his injuries, the man's brother told NBC 7.
A call came into 911 at about 9:50 that a person had possibly been electrocuted near the intersection of Idaho Avenue and Skyline Drive. Escondido firefighters and paramedics arrived a short time later and discovered the victim, who was wearing a waist harness, suspended in the air.
The homeowner told NBC 7 later in the day that the man — who the victim's brother, Juan, identified as 24-year-old Antonio Mateo — had been hanging Christmas lights in the tree when the accident occurred. It was a job Mateo had done in the past, said the homeowner, who added that Mateo was electrocuted when he threw a strand of lights over the high power wire.
First responders had to wait precious minutes while an SDG&E worker shut off power in the area, including to the high-powered tension wires above the pine where the worker dangled in mid-air.
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"Once SDG&E shut the power down, our crews were able to access the victim via the ladder truck," said Escondido Fire Department battalion chief Brian Salazar. "Brought the victim down, where he was placed in an ambulance and transported to Palomar hospital in critical condition."
The incident occurred in eastern Escondido in a fairly rural area of the community, with neighbors looking on as the man was rushed off to the hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
"Horrible. I knew in my heart that he was gone," Pam Boyd, a neighbor, told NBC 7. "He's always working around doing lights and everything. Always smiling ... That rips my heart apart. Anyone who dies like that, it's tragic."
In addition to telling NBC 7 that his brother regularly worked as a landscaper, Juan said Mateo was a native of Guatemala, where the family hoped to send his remains.
This article originally stated the victim was working as a tree trimmer when, in fact, Escondido Fire only said he was working in a tree — Ed.
