El Dorado, CA — A Sonora man is dead following an accident involving a power line tower in El Dorado.
Authorities say 43-year-old Gregory Boyd of Sonora and 43-year-old Carl Thomas of Diamond Springs climbed a high voltage P.G. & E. tower Wednesday night to look at birds.
Boyd was reportedly killed when he touched a power line carrying 115,000 volts of electricity. Reports indicate he was thrown about 65 feet to the ground.
The arcing power line also caused a shower of sparks that ignited three fires in the dry grass.
The flames at one point threatened several houses north of Pleasant Valley Road.
Thomas was unhurt and placed under arrest on charges of public intoxication and trespassing.
This post was last modified on 01/31/2009 2:31 pm