Man dies after electrocution in Addison, 3-28-17

A 51-year-old man lost his life, and another person was critically injured on Tuesday afternoon after they were shocked by power lines while cutting trees in an Addison backyard. Jose Fulgencio-Hueramo, from Melrose Park, was pronounced dead shortly before noon at Glen Oaks Hospital in Glendale Heights.

At around 11 a.m., Fulgencio-Hueramo and another individual were trimming limbs in a backyard near Villa Avenue and Myrick Avenue when both came into contact with overhead power lines. One of them fell from the ladder and landed on the ground, while the other remained trapped in the tree.

ComEd quickly shut off the power, allowing firefighters from Lombard and Addison to reach the scene and safely extract the victim still in the tree. The injured man was airlifted to Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove for treatment.

"They managed to cut the power to the lines, and once that was done, firefighters from Lombard and Addison went up there and successfully rescued the gentleman from the tree," said Addison Fire Chief Joe Leone.

Local police mentioned that the victims did not appear to be working with a licensed tree-cutting company. It remains unclear how the individuals came into contact with the power lines.