2 Injured When TV Antenna Hits High-Volt Line

Two men were injured Tuesday afternoon in Orange when an antenna they were installing on the roof of a home became tangled in a high-voltage power line, officials said.

One of the men was burned and the other suffered temporary heart failure when the antenna came in contact with a 12,000-volt power line about 3:30 p.m., Orange Fire Department Battalion Chief Jim Richardson said.

The men were taken to Western Medical Center in Santa Ana. The most seriously injured was identified by neighbors as Mike Senn, who was putting the antenna up on his home. Senn, who suffered temporary heart failure, was reported in critical condition. The name and condition of the second man was not immediately available.

Injured Man Lived There

Authorities said the men were trying to install a new television antenna on the roof of a home in the 200 block of South Hewes Avenue, where Senn reportedly lives.

Ernesto Pelayo, who lives next door to the house where the accident occurred, said his wife, Guadalupe, saw the men trying to replace a small antenna with a larger one.

“Then he hit the power line,” Pelayo said.

Ten-year-old Wendy Vieyra, who lives nearby, said she saw “a little bit of fire on the roof and I called the police because I was worried.” Then she noticed that Senn was lying on the front lawn of the home.

Jose Prado, who lives across the street, said that police and Southern California Edison officials closed off the street for several hours.

Roger Faubel, an Edison spokesman, said a utility company crew was sent to check the power line. After an inspection, they determined it was intact and safe, he added.