A man was electrocuted and a boy was injured Tuesday when the basket of a tree-trimming boom came into contact with a power line and became electrified in South Los Angeles.
The accident occurred about 6:50 p.m. in the 300 block of 87th Place, near South San Pedro Street, according to Amy Bastman of the Los Angeles Fire Department.
A 17-year-old boy jumped from the boom onto a corrugated metal building 15 to 20 feet below and was in fair condition when taken to a hospital, Bastman said.
Rescuers worked to make contact with the second victim, a 22-year-old man, but their efforts were hampered by live electrical lines. They eventually determined he was dead in the boom basket, Bastman said.
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power was summoned to the location.
A spokesman for the utility said the decedent was a private tree trimmer and not a DWP employee.
About 10 homes lost power until about 8:30 p.m., he said.
