Jolt sends man to hospital

By Joe Wertz

Published: June 10, 2006

His window-washing gear touched a power line carrying 34,500 volts.

An Oklahoma City man was hospitalized with third-degree burns Friday after his window-washing equipment came into contact with a power line, authorities said.

David Kaplan, 39, was in good condition Friday at the burn unit at Integris Baptist Medical Center.

About 11:15 a.m., Kaplan was about 40 feet off the ground on a motorized lift, washing windows at the Bank of Nichols Hills building at 701 N Broadway Ave., Oklahoma City fire Battalion Chief Bobby Lax said.

His washing equipment or the lift touched a power line carrying 34,500 volts -- more than 300 times the voltage of a household outlet, Lax said.

Witnesses told The Oklahoman they heard two loud noises and saw fire and sparks erupt around Kaplan that traveled down and shot out from under the lift.

"It was a fireball," said Brenda Hawkins, who works at Fashion Cleaners and Laundry across the street. "There was a loud crackling noise and a pop and you could see sparks and flames everywhere."

Hawkins said she saw Kaplan throw a cooler of water on himself to douse the flames.

Lax said Kaplan was conscious and talked to rescuers when they arrived. Firefighters were on the scene in minutes, but were unable to come to Kaplan's rescue for about eight minutes.

"We have to be very careful not to rush in and become the victims ourselves," Lax said. "Any time there is electricity involved, we have to make 100 percent sure the power is off before we get in there."

Kaplan was hospitalized with second- and third-degree burns to his legs, hands and feet.

"It's a miracle"

Fire Maj. Brenda Ward was with two other rescuers in the "bucket" of the fire ladder that pulled Kaplan to safety.

Part of her job is to calm people by talking to them, she said, and she now feels a bond with Kaplan.

"I just kept telling him that I was proud of him for doing so well and kept telling him what we were doing," she said. "I told him we were going to take care of him and get him to the burn center and that everything would be OK."

Ward said firefighters had to put a safety harness on Kaplan before they could lift him into their rescue ladder. She said Kaplan did not want to wait for the harness.

"He kept telling us he was a window washer and could easily step onto the ladder," she said. "But we told him it was for his own safety."

She and Kaplan talked on the phone several times after the accident, Ward said. He was in good condition late Friday, she said, and undergoing treatment at the burn center.

"It's a miracle," she said. "We just saw a miracle today."

Electricity down
Parts of downtown Oklahoma City were without power for about an hour after the accident.

Oklahoma Gas and Electric Co. spokesman Brian Alford said power can be shut off in seconds if there is an emergency.

"We have a system that shuts off power automatically if it sees something wrong," Alford said. "The power line today was shut off in just a matter of seconds."

OG&E supervisors on the scene described the line that shocked Kaplan as a "primary" -- one that carries high-voltage electricity long distances.

Primary lines carry electricity to and from substations before the voltage is reduced and routed into buildings.

Alford said he is pleased and surprised by Kaplan's condition.

"We are very encouraged to hear that he is doing so well," Alford said. "That kind of voltage is extremely dangerous and almost always deadly."