New Caney Teen Electrocuted Working Near Power Lines

NEW CANEY, TX — A 17-year old boy was electrocuted in New Caney on Tuesday night and was taken to a local hospital, where is in stable but critical condition.

The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office assisted EMS personnel on a call at the 17500 block of FM 1485 at approximately 9:20 p.m. on Tuesday, where the boy may have made contact with power lines while setting up a banner that had been knocked down by recent storms, according to a Montgomery County Sheriff's Office news release.

The banner was attached to a metal pole, which conducted electricity from the overhead service lines carrying 20,000 volts, according to authorities. The boy collapsed and stopped breathing, and witnesses started chest compressions, which were continued for 20 minutes by EMS until a pulse was found.

Officials from energy provider Entergy told police that high voltage wires like power lines create an electrical field that can cause a charge to jump to a metal or other conductive object without physically touching it.

"We would like to remind the public to take time to look around the area you may be working in, and be aware or power lines, gas lines and other possible risks prior to starting any work," the sheriff's office said in a statement.