Ag sprayer takes down power line

An equipment operator spraying a farm field off Middle Road south of Columbia Falls found himself in a tense situation last week after one of his spray booms took down a high voltage wire June 11.

The man was stranded on the equipment until help could arrive. Flathead Electric Cooperative crews and Badrock Fire Department personnel responded.

The incident knocked out power for a short time to nearly 300 customers, Co-op spokeswoman Wendy Ostrom-Price said.

The incident is a reminder that farmers, construction workers and homeowners need to be careful with tall equipment near power lines, she said. The operator did the right thing by staying on the equipment. A person should stay in a vehicle to avoid electrocution if they take down a power line, unless the vehicle is on fire, she pointed out.

The man was uninjured, but he’ll be getting a bill for the cost of fixing the broken line, Ostrom-Price said. She didn’t know what the cost would be.