Man Electrocuted after fishing line comes into contract with HV lines

[tom baker]

(Bremerton, WA- Kitsap Sun) A 60-year-old man was killed Wednesday afternoon after his fishing line came into contact with high voltage power lines.

Central Kitsap Fire and Rescue crews responded to a 911 call on the 7600 block of Illahee Road at about 2:30 p.m. Wednesday. They found 60-year-old Timothy Deniger lying in his yard next to a fishing pole.

The fishing line was draped over three high-voltage power lines and emitted small electrical arcs and smoke, CKFR spokeswoman Ileana LiMarzi said.

First responders were forced to wait until Puget Sound Energy cut power to the area before approaching Deniger. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Kitsap County Sheriff's deputies also responded. A deputy wrote in a report that Deniger may have been using the fishing line to attempt to hang something in a nearby tree when he was electrocuted, KCSO spokesman Ken Dickinson said.

A deputy wrote in a report that Deniger may have been using the fishing line to attempt to hang something in a nearby tree when he was electrocuted, KCSO spokesman Ken Dickinson said.

 

[cowboyjwc]

I would have never guessed that fishing line was conductive

 

[ggunn]

I would have never guessed that fishing line was conductive

A couple of things struck me about this story, and the conductivity of fishing line (or lack of it) was one of them. The story called them "high voltage lines", but are uninsulated high tension lines typically run so close to the ground that someone could cast a fishing line over them?

I'm not saying it couldn't happen, but it sounds a bit strange to me.

 

[jaggedben]

I would have never guessed that fishing line was conductive

At what voltage?

 

[Jraef]

Pay attention to the fact that this was Washington State where it rains a LOT, even this time of year. Of the 12 years I lived there, it was raining during 8 of the July 4th celebrations. So the line may well have been wet, may have been braided line that was holding moisture, he may have been using a carbon fiber pole, all kinds of possibilities exist here to make that happen.

I fish at a power dam sometimes, I have had my line go over power lines from errant casts. I always cut them immediately. On some of the power lines, you can see lures hanging off of them...

 

[pv_n00b]

Doesn't say what he was using or what his general health was. There are a lot of specialty metal fishing lines out there and maybe he had a bad ticker to start with so a little jolt did him in. In my experience, general news articles that have a technical component are usually very poor at getting the technical part right. Most of the people writing these articles don't know the difference between power and energy, much less what factors are important in a possible flashover from a fishing line contact.

 

[kwired]

Pay attention to the fact that this was Washington State where it rains a LOT, even this time of year. Of the 12 years I lived there, it was raining during 8 of the July 4th celebrations. So the line may well have been wet, may have been braided line that was holding moisture, he may have been using a carbon fiber pole, all kinds of possibilities exist here to make that happen.

I fish at a power dam sometimes, I have had my line go over power lines from errant casts. I always cut them immediately. On some of the power lines, you can see lures hanging off of them...

Seen many lures and other "tackle" hanging from them as well, and personally been around a time or two when someone got their line caught in HV lines.

Most lines I ever seen this happen with were probably 7200 to ground max. I suppose if he had gotten into transmission voltages the risk gets higher.

 

[kwired]

A couple of things struck me about this story, and the conductivity of fishing line (or lack of it) was one of them. The story called them "high voltage lines", but are uninsulated high tension lines typically run so close to the ground that someone could cast a fishing line over them?

I'm not saying it couldn't happen, but it sounds a bit strange to me.

Depends on how high of voltage you are talking about I suppose. 7200 to ground - might easily be only 25 feet off the ground, not that hard to cast even a relatively lightweight lure that kind of distance depending on what kind of line and other gear you are using.

115kV lines likely are going to be high enough you would almost have to intentionally be trying to cast something over them.

 

[mbrooke]

And lets not forget that if its 7,200 it can easily be 20,000 or 34,500. Some POCOs do run that as typical distribution. Virginia power is one that comes to mind. 69,000 strung right above the distribution on the same pole is not uncommon either. Common on California and I do know of some 57kv in Washington State run like that.

 

[romex jockey]

Doesn't say what he was using or what his general health was. There are a lot of specialty metal fishing lines out there and maybe he had a bad ticker to start with so a little jolt did him in. In my experience, general news articles that have a technical component are usually very poor at getting the technical part right. Most of the people writing these articles don't know the difference between power and energy, much less what factors are important in a possible flashover from a fishing line contact.

Scene forensics often follow suit .....

~RJ~