Tree surgeon electrocuted by power line, firm fined £60,000

A 26-year-old tree surgeon suffered life-threatening injuries after being electrocuted by an 11,000-volt overhead power line while performing hedge maintenance near Royal Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire, on April 19, 2024.

Joshua Pocknell was pushing a mobile lighting tower along the A3102 shortly after midnight when the equipment made contact with the cable, according to CCTV footage released by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). The video shows sparks flashing from his hands as his body stiffened and he collapsed to the ground. A colleague rushed to his aid following the incident.

Pocknell was rushed to hospital, where he spent five weeks recovering from severe burns that penetrated to the bone in his arm and hip. Multiple surgeons treated his complex injuries. "My whole body locked and I felt hot and cramping," Pocknell said. "I could hear the electricity in my head and thought I was going to die. I hit the floor and passed out, still cramping." He added that he continues to experience nerve pain, itching and other sensations, stating, "This incident has torn the life from beneath me and I don't think I will be able to return to the job that I used to love."