December 2, 2010
Crews responded to the intersection of 14th Street and Wertland Street - near the University of Virginia corner - around 8am Thursday morning for a tactical rescue from the 3rd floor scaffolding of a CBS Rentals apartment building that was set to hold a topping out celebration later Thursday afternoon.
Charlottesville Fire Chief, Charles Werner, reports a construction worker was standing 25 feet above the ground on the 3rd floor scaffolding next to some power lines when his tape measure touched the charged lines. The victim was shocked and incapacitated.
"In the course of doing that the tape measure contacted a line and that was what transmitted the charge to him; 19,000 volts. A lot of power," said Britt Grim, Deputy Fire Chief.
Upon arrival, firefighters immediately began advanced emergency medical care. The patient was secured into a Stokes basket then carried down the internal building stairwell.
CBS19's Stephanie Satchell was at the scene and reported the victim was awake and breathing upon being lowered to the ground by rescue crews. Co-workers did not want to speak on camera but did tell CBS19 they recalled seeing a flash followed by sparks.
The Sunbelt worker was transported to the University of Virginia Medical Center for further evaluation and treatment.
CBS Rentals was set to celebrate the topping out of The Greenhouse apartment building - lauded as the first LEED registered apartment building in Charlottesville - at 12:30pm Thursday afternoon, and they say that ceremony will still happen as scheduled. Developers touted the building as the greenest apartment in Charlottesville.
Roads in the 14th St. and Wertland St. area were closed and surrounding houses and apartments lost power for a short period of time but roads have been reopened and power restored.
We will bring you more information of the condition and identity of the victim as soon as it's made available by police.
Good news for the new engineer and workers. Thanks, Scaffoding
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