Antonio Pascual Mateo, electrocuted to death while setting up Christmas light decorations in Escondido, California after unwittingly throwing ‘live’ cables over a nearby high voltage power line.
A San Diego, California man has died in a ‘freak accident‘ after being electrocuted while hanging Christmas lights near a high-voltage power line.
Antonio Pascual Mateo, 24, was setting up the festive decorations for a client on the roof of in his Escondido home on Thursday, November 21, circa 10.48am, something he had done for many years, when he came to be electrocuted by a high voltage watt after ‘unwittingly’ throwing a live cable over a nearby high voltage power line.
According to the San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office, Mateo was found hanging upside down from a tree.
Fire crews had to wait for SDG&E to shut off the power in the area before the 24 year old was rescued.
First responders ‘found a worker suspended in the air via a waist harness, it appeared that he had come in contact with some high-power tension lines,’ Escondido Battalion Chief Salazar told Fox 5 San Diego.
Read a San Diego County Examiner’s report: ‘Paramedics arrived on scene to find the decedent hanging upside down from a tree. After recovering the decedent, paramedics initiated advanced cardiovascular life support and transported the decedent to the nearest local hospital.’
Mateo was transported to Palomar Medical Center where, despite ‘aggressive’ life-saving efforts, he was pronounced dead an hour and 20 minutes later.
Christmas Light Installer Emelio Linares, the owner of SD Light Guys, said this tragic incident has been a big topic of discussion among light installers nationwide.
‘If you’re ever in doubt when it comes to electrical, take a second, reassess,’ Linares told Fox 5 San Diego.
Jay Hobson, owner of The Holiday Lighters, said never hang up Christmas lights while they are plugged in.
‘Organize your stuff. Taking your time is the best,’ Hobson added.
Not immediately clear is how Mateo came to overlook safety protocol best practises.
A GoFundMe page has been set up by Mateo’s family to raise money for him to be brought back to his home country of Guatemala for burial. The page has so far received nearly $10,415 in donations.
According to the page, Mateo ‘fell’ in a tree and was left ‘trapped for an hour’ there after being electrocuted as the rescue team was ‘forced to wait until the power company had to turn off power.’
The family added that it was unfortunately ‘too late to save’ Mateo.
