Genie lift falls, lands on active wires
Two workers escaped two dangers on Friday as firefighters rescued them from a bucket of a genie lift they were stuck in on Thursday.
The incident happened in Burnaby in British Columbia.
Firefighters responded to the industrial accident Thursday morning.
"What happened was the genie lift, it actually backed into a hole and it fell over and it unfortunately got caught by the hydro wires," said Asst. Chief Gavin Summers of the Burnaby Fire Department, according to a CTV News report.
"They were actually arcing and the wires were hot. One of the wires actually hit the ground and was arcing on the ground. So, [it] was a very dangerous situation upon arrival."
Had the genie lift not hit the wires, the outcome could have been "very different" given that the wires essentially stopped the arm from toppling over entirely, said Summers.
The rescue operations, however, had one complication: There was a possibility that getting one person out of the bucket would cause it to shift – potentially putting the second person in more danger, said Summer.
Despite that, the rescue was a success and no one was injured.
"They are very lucky," Summers said of the workers. "They're just a little shaken up but they're fine."
