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SALT LAKE CITY — A man was electrocuted Thursday when the cherry picker he was operating came in contact with power lines, according to Salt Lake City Fire officials.
The incident happened about 11:40 a.m. near 200 E. Williams Ave. (1000 South). The man was using a hydraulic elevated platform, commonly referred to as a cherry picker, when the machine accidentally touched live power lines, said Salt Lake City Fire Capt. Anthony Burton.
#ALERT: Area around 200 East & Belmont Avenue closed off after a man was electrocuted to death. pic.twitter.com/Rpb135b53n
— Kelli Pierce (@KelliReports) January 30, 2020
A passerby saw what had happened and called 911. The first arriving crews had to wait for Rocky Mountain Power crews to shut off power to those lines before they could get the man off the platform as it was still touching them, Burton said. The man was believed to already be deceased at that point, he said.
The man’s identity was not immediately released. Burton said he did not work for the power company. Investigators believe the man was doing work as a private citizen and not for a company. It was unclear Thursday what kind of work the man was doing when he was electrocuted.
