A Los Angeles Department of Water and Power died from injuries suffered while working on a project in Wilmington.
The DWP released a statement Thursday saying, “This tragic incident serves as a reminder that the work many LADWP employees perform on a daily basis to keep our City running can be hazardous.''
The employee who died was working as part of a cable splicing crew performing electrical service work and contacted an energized circuit in an underground vault shortly before 11 a.m. Thursday.
His co-workers were able to recover the employee from the vault and tried to revive him by performing CPR until an emergency crew from the Los Angeles Fire Department arrived.
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Paramedics took the employee to a hospital, but he did not survive. DWP said in the statement the name of the employee is not being released out of respect for the employee's family.
“Our employees who work to keep our lights on and water flowing are unsung heroes, and on days like today, we are reminded just how vital they are to all of us,'' the DWP said in a release.
The DWP said it is working with appropriate agencies to investigate the incident and has offered counseling and support services to employees affected by the incident.