Operator rescued after backhoe gets tangled up in power line near Houston, video shows
By KTRK staff
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HOUSTON (KTRK) — An operator was rescued Tuesday morning after the backhoe they were in became entangled in power lines, according to video footage.
The incident happened along Second Street and Saturn Lane in the Clear Lake area.
SkyEye flew over the scene, where footage showed a backhoe caught up with a power line and a downed wooden power pole.
According to CenterPoint Energy, this involved a third-party contractor not affiliated with them. They said the contractor hit an electric infrastructure near the 17400 block of Saturn Lane, causing an outage that impacted nearly 1,300 customers in the area. As of 9 a.m., the majority of customers impacted had been restored.
The Space Center Intermediate School was among those impacted, and parents were notified not to drop off students.
CenterPoint also sent the following statement in response to the situation:
“CenterPoint crews are onsite and working closely with first responders and emergency services to safely secure the area and restore power as safely and as quickly as possible.
Safety is CenterPoint’s top priority, and we urge customers, contractors and workers to be mindful when working around electric infrastructure and stay at least 10 feet away from power lines and at least 35 feet away from downed power lines or fallen wires.
We appreciate the community’s patience as we work to make the necessary repairs and restore power to those affected by this incident.”
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