MAN BURNED BY ELECTRICAL LINES

Elyria – A 19 year Elyria man was burned over much of his body Monday afternoon after an incident occurred while working on a roof at 219 West Ave.


LifeCare Ambulance has a station just next door to where the incident occurred and two Paramedics heard an explosion according to Herb de la Porte, Vice President of LifeCare. “When they heard the noise they went outside to investigate and saw the man on the roof. People below started telling them what had happened and they immediately called for Elyria Fire to assist in getting the man down off the roof.”


Neighbors say they too heard what sounded like an explosion and went to see what had happened. One man said two men were on the roof and one was on fire and the other was attempting to put out the fire. Neighbors say they believe the man had indirectly touched an electrical line causing the explosion. Neighbors pointed out a stick that had been placed against the house to move a wire away from the roof area.


Elyria Firefighters arrived on the scene and began setting up their Tower truck to extricate the man from the roof. de la Porte said Paramedics gave Firefighters burn sheets to wrap the man in. He said the sheets are sterile and would help protect him from infections.


Firefighters picked the victim off the roof and then lowered him to LifeCare Paramedics below. Paramedics then began treating the victim before transporting him to Elyria Memorial Hospital where a helicopter crew was waiting.


The other man also had to be extricated from the roof by Firefighters.


The victim was flown to Cleveland in critical condition with “extensive burns across most of his body” according to de la Porte.


The other man on the roof was treated by LifeCare and transported for burns on his right hand, burns he received when he tried to extinguish the flames. He was transported to Elyria Memorial Hospital.
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