San Jose police say a tree trimmer was electrocuted when a rope or cable he was connected to hit a live wire.
The man was in a treetop in the backyard of a home when the incident occurred at about 11:45 a.m. at a home in the 2600 block of McLaughlin Avenue.
Officers found him still attached to his harness about 40 feet off the ground when they arrived.
A preliminary investigation indicated that the worker was climbing on branches over an energized power line when a safety rope fell onto the active line around 11:45 a.m., Cal/OSHA spokesman Greg Siggins said.
The rope acted as a conduit, carrying the electrical current to the worker.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The man was working for Lupe's Tree Service and Landscaping, Siggins said. Cal/OSHA is continuing to investigate the death, he said.
Local
The Santa Clara County medical examiner's office has not yet released the man's name.
