A military parachutist dropped on high-voltage power lines in southern Arizona had to hang for several hours before being safely rescued by firefighters and utility crews.
Aylist Fire District Assistant Chief Robert Mestus said firefighters made use of the line truck to arrange for the crew to come to the parachutist before they could get in line and begin rescue operations. He called the man “extremely lucky”.
The jump spread south of the city of Arizona near a small private airport, the planned landing point for the training jump. That area of southern Arizona is popular for parachute jumps, including training for military personnel.
The parachutist was miking the jump with other members of a small group of military personnel from a foreign country, Ian McKenzie, director of military operations at Airborne Support Group, an Arizona-based company that runs the drop zone, told The Associated Press on Saturday.
Citing security reasons, McKenzie refused to identify the foreign country.
A statement issued by the fire district said the crew had to carefully dismount the parachutist from the power lines “as a quick release would cause a slingshot effect on the power lines already under stress.”
“On the one hand, we did not want him to have too much contact with the Energetic Power Equipment and then on the other hand, we did not want it to collapse.” KSG-TV.
Mastas said the man was taken to the hospital for evaluation, but was not seriously injured. “He was awake and alert and very lucky.”
The lines are owned by the Western Region Power Administration, operated by the US Department of Energy, Casa Grand Dispatch Reported.
The city of Arizona is about 60 miles northwest of Tucson.
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