A line installer was killed after he was electrocuted while installing telco cables in Sitio Neighborhood, Barangay Tabunok in Talisay City on Sunday, June 18. | Photo from Talisay City Police
CEBU CITY, Philippines — A telecommunications company lineman died due to electrocution while working on internet connection installations in Talisay City, Cebu on Sunday, June 18, 2023.
The victim was identified as Ral Pacana Estellore, 44 years old, married with two kids, and a resident of Brgy. Linao, Talisay City, Cebu.
According to a report from Talisay City police, they received information about the dead body found at Sitio Neighborhood, Brgy. Tabunok in Talisay City, from a Talisay Response Emergency Action Team (TREAT) personnel around 2:25 of Sunday, which happened to be Father’s Day.
Upon the arrival of the authorities from the Talisay City police, the TREAT personnel were already at the scene.
Estellore was already unresponsive and had no signs of life, according to the emergency personnel’s assessment.
Moreover, the emergency personnel found severe burns on both arms of Estellore caused by a high-voltage electrical shock resulting in his immediate death.
Installing without high-tension gloves
Based on the initial investigation, the victim’s co-worker, Jean Paul Ruiz, 33 years old, said that at around 1:45 p.m. he and Estellore were working on several residential internet connection installations. They were tasked to climb the utility post to work with the line connections.
Ruiz revealed that the both of linemen were not able to wear “high-tension gloves” used to avoid electrocution.
Ruiz added that as Estellore climbed the post using their ladder to install a residential internet line from the main line post situated beside the road of Sitio Neighborhood, the fiber optic line they were trying to install made contact with an electric company’s secondary electrical wire.
It instantly conducted very high voltage electricity to Estellore’s body, which resulted in him to the lineman’s electrocution. He then fell to the concrete road from about 25 feet high.
Aside from the severely burned parts of his body, more or less third degree burns, the lineman also suffered severe head trauma from the fall.
Personnel from Talisay City police said in the report that they requested for an autopsy examination on the victim’s cadaver at the Regional Forensic Unit 7.
The body of Estellore is now at Saint Francis funeral homes located in N. Bacalso Ave., Labangon, Cebu City, where an autopsy will be conducted.
/bmjo
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