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SEMINOLE, Fla. (WFLA) — On Tuesday, two men were severely injured and one was killed during an electrical incident at a power facility in Pinellas County.
“It’s hard… when people you love… you spent so much time with… go through that. It was pretty gut-wrenching,” said Jesse Getford, who worked with the three men previously in Clearwater and is organizing fundraising campaigns for the families.
Three linemen, who were contractors with Duke Energy, were assisting in placing a new power pole in the ground, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. Around 1:30 p.m., a “boom operator” working on the site hit a pole and power line, causing an explosion.
Matt Waldrop, of North Florida, and Jeff Busch, of Polk County, were sent to the hospital with life-threatening electrical burns. Justin Bryan, of Hernando County, was killed.
“I’m just heartbroken,” Getford said.
The sheriff’s office spent the majority of the day and evening Tuesday conducting a death investigation. Duke Energy told 8 On Your Side that approximately 14,000 people lost power, but the power was restored by Tuesday evening.
“They were all fathers. All of them are sole providers for their families,” Getford said.
Both Waldrop and Busch are stable, according to Getford. The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office at this time believes the electric shock incident to be an accident. OSHA is also investigating.