Rescuers say a painter is lucky to be alive after his cherry picker collided with live hydro wires, Friday afternoon.
Multiple people called 911 when they heard an explosion on the 100 block of West Third Street just before 2 p.m.
A painter was manoeuvring a telescopic boom lift outside an apartment building when the machine hit the power lines.
When fire crews arrived, the line was still arcing electricity, said acting fire chief David Owens. BC Hydro was called in to de-energize the lines before rescuers could safely reach the worker.
“He is very lucky that he was not injured,” said Owens. “There was a big risk there.”
The top of the machine's boom was scorched, with charred wires protruding.
Crews had to close Third Street while BC Hydro workers slowly removed the lines. Eventually, they were able to reach the worker with their own bucket truck and bring the man down.
“It was a good ending to a potentially worse situation,” Owens said.
