A 22-year-old contractor was severely injured after receiving an electric shock while hanging Christmas lights on a tree in Wellesley, Massachusetts. The man was using a 34-foot pole to string up the lights when it came into contact with an electrical line on a utility pole, resulting in the shock. He collapsed and was found in cardiac arrest by police officers who eventually managed to revive him using an automated external defibrillator. He was then rushed to Newton Wellesley Hospital and later transferred to Massachusetts General Hospital with life-threatening injuries.
The victim, identified as an employee of NZ Power Wash in Framingham, had a coworker perform CPR on him before emergency services arrived. The incident was reported by a bystander who witnessed the man collapsing and not appearing to breathe. OSHA, the federal work safety agency, is investigating the incident in collaboration with the Wellesley Police and Municipal Light Plant.
Wellesley Police Officer Tim Gover stated that the man will be lucky if he survives the incident due to the severity of the shock he received. Although the coworker who witnessed the incident declined to comment, they mentioned that the man is currently recovering in the hospital. The Wellesley Police, Fire, and WMLP Departments have offered their thoughts and prayers to the victim and his family during this tragic event.
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