Man electrocuted during construction accident

CK Price students returned to school Thursday following the construction accident on Wednesday that sent two men to the hospital and knocked out power to the school and surrounding neighborhood most of the afternoon.

The accident occurred around 1:30 p.m. at a construction site on the school grounds when a forklift operator moving a steel beam over extended the lift and hit an overhead power line, school officials said.

Mark Godfrey Jr., 23, suffered serious injury from electrical shock and was airlifted to UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento.

His condition was unknown as of Thursday afternoon.

A second man, Scott Gully, 40, was injured when he attempted to put out a fire that had ignited on the forklift by throwing water on the tires.

Interim Orland police Chief J.C. Tolle said officers from his department responded to the accident along with Orland firefighters at 1:51 p.m. Ambulances from Westside and Enloe also responded.

Officer Kyle Cessna performed CPR on Godfrey, Tolle said, and did restore a pulse before he was taken to the hospital. He was reportedly breathing on his own at that time.

Orland resident Willy Kendrick was driving by the school shortly after the accident occurred and saw the smoke.

The former firefighter went to investigate and saw Godfrey being dragged away from the burning tractor.

"The kid looked pretty bad, so I tried to help," Kendrick said.

Kendrick ventilated the man while Cessna performed compressions during the CPR, he said.

"The officer was very professional and knew what he was doing," Kendrick added. "He did an excellent job."

Kendrick was with the Benecia Fire Department for 28 years, he said, and now works for the Orland Unit Water Users Association.

Gully suffered some burns and was treated at the scene, but refused ambulance transport, Tolle said, opting to seek medical treatment on his own. He reportedly was treated and released from Enloe Hospital in Chico, Orland Unified School District officials said.

Tolle added Chapman Street was closed until early evening, so Cal OHSA officials could come and investigate the incident.

Volunteers in Police Service members diverted traffic until around 6 p.m., he said.

Most of the students had already gone home by mid-day on a scheduled staff service day, said Glenn County Superintendent of Schools Tracey Quarne.

The 40 students remaining in the SPARK afterschool program were walked to nearby Fairview, where school officials contacted parents and guardians.

Some of the students were picked up immediately, while others stayed for the program activities that were provided until 6 p.m., Quarne said.

Orland Unified Superintendent Chris von Kleist issued a statement Thursday afternoon stating the school was placed under lock down while the accident was being handled due to concerns about a chain-link fence on the perimeter of the construction site becoming electrically charged because of the accident.

However, investigators determined the fence was never electrically charged and the charges were contained to the forklift, von Kleist said.

Power was restored Wednesday evening.

Source: Rick Longley, Willows Journal