OT: Darwin Award nominee, Sullivan man dies from electrocution after cutting live power line with a saw [Telecom]

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By Adam Bosch Times Herald-Record Posted: June 27, 2009 - 10:20 AM

POND EDDY - Authorities say a drunken 64-year-old man died from electrocution early Saturday morning when he stood in a puddle and cut a live power line with an industrial saw.

Firefighters who had been guarding the line for about seven hours repeatedly told Mieczyskaw Mil to stay away from it, but the highly intoxicated man grew frustrated, fetched a circular saw from his house and began to cut the line. Sullivan County Undersheriff Eric Chaboty said that Mil was standing in a puddle of water while he cut the hissing, buzzing power line.

The transmission line sent roughly 4,800 volts of electricity through Mil?s body. Authorities said the man fell onto the line, became tangled in it and was killed by continuous electrocution. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Emergency responders could not remove the man?s body until Orange & Rockland utility workers shut down the power line.

"We did everything we could", said Dick Martinkovic, commissioner of public safety in Sullivan County. "Police were there, firefighters were there, and they chased him away, literally, a couple times".

The incident happened about 12:35 a.m. outside Mil?s house at 1160 Route

97 in Pond Eddy, in southwest Sullivan County. Town of Lumberland constables were en route to Mil?s house at the time. Firefighters who were guarding the line had called the constables because Mil was becoming increasingly intoxicated. Authorities said Mil?s family was sleeping inside their bungalow when he was electrocuted.

The fallen power line was reported to Orange & Rockland about 5 p.m. Friday. Utility spokesman Mike Donovan said an inspector was sent to make sure the line hadn?t fallen near gas tanks or buildings that could ignite. But then line workers were sent to areas where the largest number of customers were knocked out by Friday?s storm - places like Middletown and Matamoras. The Lumberland line only serviced 17 homes, Donovan said.

"What we always do is get the greatest number of people back on in the shortest time", Donovan said. "We had 17,000 customers out last night, and this line was not as high a priority as one that could restore 5,000 people".

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