A 52-year-old man suffered severe burns and remains in critical condition after an electric shock knocked him off a ladder while he was pruning a tree in Tijuana’s El Rubí neighborhood on Thursday afternoon.
The man was trimming a pepper tree on Sirak Baloyán Street when he used a metal hook to move power lines that had become tangled in the branches. The tool made contact with a live wire, sending a powerful shock through his body and throwing him from a ladder roughly four meters (about 13 feet) above the ground.
Severe Burns on Arms and Leg
Firefighters and Red Cross paramedics arrived to find the man on the ground with second- and third-degree burns on both arms and his right leg. Emergency crews transported him to a hospital, where he was listed in critical condition.
After the victim was removed from the scene, the danger was far from over. Live wires remained draped across the tree and were actively arcing, sending sparks into the area. Authorities cordoned off the surrounding block and called in CFE (Comisión Federal de Electricidad, Mexico’s federal power utility) to cut and secure the damaged cables.
A Common Hazard on Tijuana’s Older Streets
The incident is a stark example of a recurring problem in Tijuana’s older residential neighborhoods. Many streets in colonias like El Rubí were developed decades ago, and trees planted near utility poles have since grown into and around overhead power lines. Homeowners and gardeners who attempt to prune branches near these lines face serious electrocution risks, particularly when using metal tools or working in wet conditions.
CFE has repeatedly warned residents not to attempt tree trimming near power lines on their own. The utility offers a service to trim or remove vegetation that encroaches on electrical infrastructure. Residents can request assistance by calling CFE’s customer service line at 071 or visiting their local office. The agency advises that only trained personnel with proper insulating equipment should work near high-voltage lines.
This story was first reported by Punto Norte.