A worker was seriously injured Thursday morning after a crane at a construction site reportedly came into close proximity with overhead hydro wires.
Witnesses said the crane was lifting a large metal bar at the tilt-up building site on Luckakuck when the boom began to swing wildly.
The bar hit the wire, sending out a huge shower of sparks. They heard what sounded like a large explosion, then a man yelling.
“It was awful,” said Grace Smiley, who works at The Brick furniture store across the street.
Firefighters and paramedics were quickly on the scene, as well as RCMP.
WorkSafeBC, contacted by police just after 9 a.m., sent officers and its investigative unit to the location.
The worker was airlifted to hospital from a nearby landing zone at Cottonwood Mall. There is no word on his condition.
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The injured worker was on a scissor lift. The metal bars, used to support the concrete walls, were being lifted by a large crane.
Power was knocked out for blocks around the scene.
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WorkSafeBC has guidelines for minimum approach distances, provided in lengthy detail on their website. They also have a video on their website about the dangers of power arcs, called A Bright Arc: Minimum Safe Distances.
There has been no official update on the well-being of the worker yet, and no updates from WorkSafeBC on the status of any investigation.
