The lifeless body of a guy in Escondido, San Diego, was left hanging upside down by his waist strap after he was electrocuted on November 21 while attempting to hang Christmas lights.
According to information obtained by Knewz.com, Antonio Pascual Mateo, 24, is said to have caused the electrocution by throwing his Christmas lights across a high-voltage power line.
Mateo was hanging upside down from a tree when the Escondido Fire Department arrived on the scene.
At the location of the incident, the Escondido Battalion Chief told the media in a statement:
“First unit arrived on scene and found a worker suspended in the air via a waist harness, it appeared that he had come in contact with some high-power tension lines.”
The 24-year-old was reportedly kept dangling for approximately an hour as firefighters awaited San Diego Gas & Electric technicians to turn off the neighborhood’s electricity.
First responders hurried Mateo to the PalomarMedicalCenter in Escondido after he was pulled from the tree.
According to accounts, the 24-year-old was declared dead at the hospital, but it was too late. Mateo’s death was declared an accident by a medical examiner.
To raise funds to have Mateo’s remains transported from California to Guatemala, where he was born, his family has set up a GoFundMe campaign for the young man.
The GoFundMe website stated that a funeral will be performed for Mateo in California in addition to his burial in Guatemala.
“[Mateo] was an uncle, a brother, and a son. Antonio Pascual was his name. Even though he was only 24, he still had a lot to live. The donation website stated, “He always looked after his mother and family.”
“He had been working on decorating the tree with Christmas lights. Unfortunately, as he was repairing the Christmas lights, he was electrocuted by the electrical wires. The GoFundMe page stated, “He fell and remained in the tree, trapped, for an hour.”
“The rescue crew had to wait for the power company to cut the electricity. He will always be young, so it’s too late to save him,” the fundraising website continued.
“Christmas lights forever [have] a meaning” for the Pascual family, it added, and Mateo “will remain in our hearts for eternity.”
It was decided after “careful consideration of how much the expenses are from making funeral arrangements here in [California], to transporting him to the city of Guatemala for his burial to finally rest in his birthplace and for his mother to receive him there.” The family has so far raised $15,080 of the $20,000 goal.
According to the GoFundMepage, “That is our ultimate goal to do so,”
Holiday safety is reportedly “top of mind” for San Diego officials in the wake of the disaster, with those working in the light installation industry recommending that holiday lights be installed with extra caution to prevent mishaps like these.
According to a statement by SD Light Guys’ owner, Christmas light installer Emelio Linares, Mateo’s untimely death has become “a big topic of discussion among light installers nationwide.”
“If you re ever in doubt when it comes to electrical, take a second, reassess,” Linares said.
Jay Hobson, the proprietor of the Holiday Lighters, cautioned against hanging Christmas lights while they are still connected.
“Get your belongings in order. “It’s best to take your time,” Hobsons told KSWB-TV, a Fox News affiliate.
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