Power pole kills two PEC contractors

From staff reports

Two contractors for a Pedernales Electric Cooperative transmission line project died following an accident involving a transmission pole June 1 in Burnet County.

According to the Burnet County Sheriff's Office, the mid-afternoon incident occurred at a job site, south of Horseshoe Bay on Texas 71, near the Burnet County line.

The PEC contractors were working for Spokane, Washington-based JRD, LLC DBA Maslonka Powerline Services offloading poles for a construction project involving 25-mile transmission upgrade.

“The investigation of the scene and an interview with a surviving worker revealed that a 9,000- to 10,000-pound metal utility pole had fallen onto the two workers during lifting operations,” a BCSO press release stated.

Killed were: Patrick Sheesley, 30 of Wilson, Kansas; and Bryan Weatherford, 49, of Windwood Oklahoma. They were pronounced dead by Burnet County Pct. 4 Justice of the Peace Debbie Bindseil.

The incident happened on undeveloped land. The transmission upgrade is being conducted from the Wirtz substation to the Mountain Top substation, according to PEC.

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