Lineman dies when crane basket plunges 100 feet to the ground, Texas officials say

A lineman was killed and another was seriously injured following an industrial accident in Texas, a local sheriff’s office said.

The fatal accident happened early Sunday morning in Chambers County, southeast of the Houston metropolitan area.

The linemen were about 106 feet off the ground inside a metal lift basket that was “attached to the jib of a crane,” according to the Chambers County Sheriff’s Office. While they were working on a “high voltage transmission line,” the basket became unstable and detached from the crane, the sheriff’s office said.

The basket fell to the ground with the linemen inside of it, according to the sheriff’s office.

One of the linemen was pronounced dead at the scene and the other was flown to a Houston hospital, where he was listed Sunday as in critical condition, the sheriff said.

Their names have not been released.

Working as a power lineman is considered one of the most dangerous jobs in the country, according to Industrial Safety & Hygiene News. There were 29 total deaths in 2018 from the occupation, with the most common being from electrocution, the publication reported.

This story was originally published March 22, 2021 at 3:41 PM with the headline "Lineman dies when crane basket plunges 100 feet to the ground, Texas officials say."