Mass. Man, 22, Hospitalized from Electric Shock While Hanging Christmas Lights on Tree: ‘He Took a Big Hit’
A Wellesley police officer said that the contractor "will be pretty lucky if he survives" after he was resuscitated by first responders on Thanksgiving Eve
A Wellesley police officer said that the contractor "will be pretty lucky if he survives" after he was resuscitated by first responders on Thanksgiving Eve Wellesley Police Department Police arrive at the scene where a contractor was electrocuted in Wellesley, Mass.:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/Christmas-Lights-On-An-Outside-Tree-112824-05-c0ec352bd24644099e32adc59c22d7c2.jpg "Wellesley Police Department")
A man was electrocuted one day before Thanksgiving while hanging up holiday lights on an outdoor tree.
On Wednesday, Nov. 27, a contractor in Wellesley, Mass., suffered a "life-threatening" electrical shock after being hired by a resident to install holiday lights on a large tree using a pole, according to Wellesley Police.
The news release states that the incident occurred around 10 a.m. when "the pole being used came into close proximity, or contact with, a primary electrical line on a utility pole."
Officials said the person who reported the incident told dispatchers that the victim was "unconscious and appeared to be having a seizure and had stopped breathing." The 911 caller was directed to perform CPR until the officers arrived on scene.
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When three police officers arrived at the scene, they reported that the victim "appeared to be in sudden cardiac arrest." The officers took over the CPR and cleared the area to determine the cause of the electrocution.
According to the press release, "Wellesley first responders delivered multiple shocks from the AED in between providing CPR and breathing for the victim."
Officers said that the "last shock administered to the victim by the AED appeared to revive him as he regained a pulse."
The victim was transported from the residential area at Falmouth Circle to the nearby Newton Wellesley Hospital. He was later moved to Massachusetts General Hospital.
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The federal agency Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is currently investigating the incident along with Wellesley Municipal Light Plant and police.
"The Wellesley Police, Fire, and WMLP Department extend our thoughts and prayers to the victim and his family during this tragic incident," the police department said in a statement.
Wellesley Police told PEOPLE on Thursday morning that there are no new updates at this time.
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NBC News reports that the victim was a 22-year-old man who works for NZ Powerwash in the nearby town of Framingham.
In a recent interview with the outlet, police officer Tim Gover said the victim will "be pretty lucky if he survives" due to the severity of the electrocution, adding, "He took a big hit."
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The victim was reportedly walking around the pine tree with the pole during the incident.
"The pole he was using was about 34 feet long, and it came in either close proximity or actually touched a primary line that was only a few feet from the tree," said Gover. "And he got zapped from that."
