A Tennessee power company lineman was killed when the lift bucket he was working in suddenly burst into flames.
Dean Batey with Duck River Electric was working to repair a security light on a power line pole when the lift bucket he was in caught fire.
He jumped from the bucket to keep from getting burned and it’s believed the jump is what killed him.
Batey fell about 15 feet. He did not make contact with the power lines.
For now, investigators simply do not know what sparked the blaze.
The 58-year-old Batey was much respected and a very experienced line worker. He spent 40 years in the industry, the last 19 at Duck River Membership Electric Corporation.
Duck River Electric is working with Coffee County Sheriff's detectives and the Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration to investigate what happened.
Source: News Channel 5 Nashville TN
