We were erecting a traffic signal pole with a street light arm and fixture attached. To aid in lining up the base of the pole with the anchor bolts in the foundation we loop a rope around the street light arm. On this occasion, the individual entrusted with holding the rope, let go of it as soon as the pole reached its vertical position. As a result, the poles base quickly moved towards the boom truck, a fellow worker was in its path. I immediately grabbed the pole into a bear hug eliminating the possible injury to said fellow worker. When I grabbed the pole I looked up to see the street light arm swing into the overhead Edison 40,000 volt lines. The operator of the boom, seeing what was happening, jumped off the boom and threw the rope around the pole allowing me to let go of it.
I hugged that pole for a few seconds, those seconds seemed like minutes. In those few seconds I noticed: The street light arm touching three of the four Edison lines, the top of the pole, inches away from the fourth wire, was arching to the fourth wire. The outriggers of the boom were melting the asphalt and sinking into the pavement. And most importantly, "I should be dead," I thought.
You can, to this day, (this happened 30 years ago) still see the marks the pole made on those wires. My boots saved my life.
