A 19-year-old college student learning to be an electrical line worker died this week in Oroville, California, after a training pole failed, causing him and the pole to fall to the ground.
On Monday, the Oroville Police Department got a call from Northwest Lineman College that a student had been injured. First responders attempted to save the student’s life, but he ultimately succumbed to his injuries at the scene.
The victim has been identified as Carlos Mendoza, an Oroville resident, according to KNVN-TV.
In addition to damage from the fall, the pole, which was being used for educational purposes, “fatally incapacitated the victim,” OPD said in a Facebook post.
Police did not specify how the fallen pole hurt Mr. Mendoza.
“On behalf of Northwest Lineman College, I want to express our sincere condolences to the family of our student who lost his life yesterday. We’re working closely with local law enforcement as they continue to investigate the incident,” College President Mike Daniels said in a post on Facebook.
Oroville Mayor David Pittman told KRCR-TV that “they’re all suffering from the loss of an individual, it’s a terrible tragedy. Someone that’s trying his darndest to learn a skill and a trade to perform in our community and it’s really extremely sad.”
Mr. Pittman added that students at the school were just a few days from graduation.