February 24, 2017 - Three Deep East Texas Electric Coop (DETEC) linemen were injured and transported to hospitals following an incident that took place on CR 3801 on Thursday, February 23, 2017.
Brittney Ford, DETEC Communications Specialist, said, "At this time, the DETEC linemen are receiving medical care and are in good spirits. We appreciate your prayers and ask that you continue to pray for these employees and their families.
"We are all family at DETEC and currently our focus is on their needs and recovery. DETEC is cooperating with regulatory organizations and the incident is under investigation, so out of respect for the workers involved, DETEC has not released the names of those employees or details of the incident at this time."
Prior to the incident, the Joaquin Volunteer Fire Department was dispatched to the scene at 12:57pm to a grass fire on CR 3801. When the firemen arrived, they discovered a utility pole with an electric transformer attached had collapsed and caused a fire in a residents yard.
Fire had spread throughout the property. The firemen were able to extinguish the flames in the yard preventing it from reaching the house and extinguish the pole and electric transformer before DETEC personnel arrived. The firemen returned to their station at 1:27pm.
After that, ACE EMS was dispatched to the scene at 2:21pm for three DETEC linemen who were injured as a result of an apparent electric shock.
When Shelby County Today arrived at the scene, there were several utility trucks at the location and linemen were working to raise a new pole and transformer. Two ACE EMS ambulances transported the three men from the scene, two of them were transported to Nacogdoches Medical Center - Center Emergency Department for treatment and the third individual was transported by a Life Air helicopter to LSU Hospital in Shreveport.
No further information is available at this time.
