SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (ABC 4 News) - After dangling from a power pole, Fatu Matagi is speaking out about how he wants to help other workers be safer on the job.
It was one year ago last summer, when a routine maintenance call for Rocky Mountain Power went wrong and Matagi found himself near death. The power to the lines was supposed to be off, but it wasn’t.
That was when witnesses say they heard a boom as 7200 volts of electricity passed through Matagi’s body, costing him the use of his right arm.
"Top man was kind of twitching his arms a little bit, kicking his legs and moaning," said witness Jay Hart.
Matagi, who suffered severe burns was rushed to the University of Utah Medical Center.
His fellow partner who was working with him died on the power pole. Stephen Vlamakis was 26 years old.
Now more than 15 months later, Matagi has a mission to warn other power contractors and linemen about the dangers of their job.
“Safety's more important than anything...if it comes down to it, the best thing to do is just slow down, because oftentimes the company wants you to go as fast as you can,” said Matagi.
A civil suit is currently pending. Meanwhile, Matagi is writing a book about his experiences and will continue to spread his message of safety at Bountiful City Hall on Thursday, December 10, all afternoon.
