09/28/2011 – Electrocution with Air Evacuation

Incident # 11-05266 – An adult male was flown to a Trauma Center after being electrocuted and successfully resuscitated Wednesday afternoon 28-September. The contract worker was performing work at the SCE&G power plant located at 13139 Augusta Highway at 13:24. He inadvertently came into contact with some electrical equipment and was electrocuted according to a witness at the scene. The patient became unconscious and stopped breathing. Coworkers began CPR on the man and the Plant’s internal Fire Brigade/Rescue Team responded to the second story platform inside the main plant building. Fire-Rescue was also notified, but very little information was available to 9-1-1 Operators. Initially, it was reported the man was on an elevated platform. The large facility has a nine story open air complex, multi-story coal bins, conveyor belts and cooling towers among the mix of buildings on site. Without knowing exactly where the man was located multiple Fire-Rescue units were assigned to the incident. Car 119 was the first to arrive, finding the incident site inside the main building, with the Plant’s Rescue Team already rigging a rope system to lower the worker to the ground.

Ladder 19 was cancelled, but Rescue 1 remained enroute until the man was safely on the ground. Colleton Volunteer Firefighters Ricky Wilson, Ralph Polk, David Sauls and James Brown were part of the Plant’s Rescue Team who effected the successful rescue.

The Plant Rescue Team immobilized the semi-conscious man in a SKED, then lowered him to the ground floor through a narrow ladder access. He was moved to a stretcher, then to Medic 26 for transport to a nearby baseball field on Augusta Highway to meet with Lifenet 4. Upon arrival, the man remained semi-conscious and became combative. The Flight Crew and Firefighter-Paramedics RSI’ed the patient to secure his airway prior to the flight to Charleston . He was flown to the Trauma Center at MUSC, where he was admitted to the ICU.