Moses Lake worker electrocuted

MOSES LAKE — A young man in his 20s was electrocuted while laying pipe in a trench amongst new homes in Moses Lake Thursday.

“They were doing some excavation work. From what we were told, (electricity) arced around the equipment they were using,” said Paul Guerin, Moses Lake Fire Department’s acting officer.

Emergency services dispatch sent ambulance crews to Reese Drive at 3:28 p.m.

“CPR was started before we got there,” Guerin added.

It is unclear if the vehicle used for excavation connected with overhead power lines.

“The equipment was in proximately in 115,000 volts power lines,” said Guerin.

The Grant County PUD is investigating the incident.

When the fire department uses a ladder truck they keep the aerial equipment a minimum of 10 feet from power lines, including ground ladders, Guerin noted.

— Staff report