Wed, 07/14/2010 - 5:19pm | Mary Schenk

BONDVILLE — An 18-year-old Champaign man is hospitalized in Springfield after being shocked and falling from a power line tower Tuesday night.

Memorial Medical Center officials said Austin Rosa, 18, was listed in critical condition Wednesday evening. He was transferred there from Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana, where he was taken about 8 p.m. Tuesday following a fall from a power line tower.

Champaign County sheriff’s Lt. Allen Jones said deputies were called to Bondville at 7:45 p.m. to check on Rosa, who had fallen about 30 to 40 feet from an Ameren Illinois-owned transmission line steel support tower on the south side of Illinois 10.

Jones said deputies learned that Rosa, and a friend, Nicole Davis, 17, of Bondville, climbed the tower together "for no particular reason other than adventure."

Rosa was higher on the tower and reportedly noticed that the hair on his body was "standing" up as he got higher. According to Davis, Rosa let go of the tower with one arm and at that time he was shocked by an "arc" from the power line which caused him to fall to the ground below.

The transmission support tower is between Barney Lane and Mary Street in Frazier Acres on the north side of the Canadian National railroad tracks, south of Illinois 10.

Jones said Ameren officials report that the transmission lines at that tower are 69,000-volt lines.

"The towers are placarded ‘high voltage’ and ‘no trespassing.’ That should be taken as a word to the wise. They’re not intended for adventure. They’re intended to carry 69,000 volts and they pack quite a wallop," Jones said.

Submitted on 07/16/2010

Submitted by: Keith Hays
Reference: http://www.news-gazette.com/news/courts-police-and-fire/2010-07-14/champaign-man-shocked-falls-tower

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Bruce said:
Definitely Keep: Honorable Mention
This guy was just climbing the tower for "no particular reason" and wasn't even trying to nip some copper like all the crispy copper thieves we hear about? And he didn't grow concerned when he felt his hair standing up from the electrical field around the power lines? Sounds pretty darned stupid in my eyes. Thanks, Keith!

Candi said:
Definitely Keep: Honorable Mention
Above and beyond...

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