Man electrocuted when lift hits power line

An employee of a Hayden rental company was electrocuted Friday morning while operating a manlift that touched overhead power lines, according to the Kootenai County Fire and Rescue.

The accident happened at about 8 a.m. Friday at A to Z Rental, 6792 Government Way, when the employee raised the lift until it touched live power lines, electrifying the device and knocking the man unconscious, said Chief Aaron Jones.

The power line severed and a bystander initiated rescue breathing of the injured man, whose identity was not available Friday afternoon. He was conscious and breathing when rescue workers arrived, Jones said, but had suffered severe electrical burns. He was taken to Kootenai Medical Center and later airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, Jones said.

The arcing power lines shut down Government Way temporarily, Jones said.