A man was electrocuted while trimming a mesquite tree Saturday ahead of a winter storm in southern Texas, multiple outlets reported.
Vicente Morgado, 54, was trimming the tree on the grounds of a church in La Joya when his saw touched the power lines, causing him to be electrocuted, KRGV Channel 5 News reported, citing La Joya Police Department Chief Ramon Gonzalez. The police chief said he was declared deceased on-site.
The electricity provider AEP Texas shut down the power lines so first responders could assist Morgado, according to Valley Central.
Lt. Manuel Casas of the La Joya Police Department warned anyone who planned to clear tree branches from power lines to reach out to their electric company first as “it’s a very dangerous thing to do.”
The City of La Joya announced an emergency power outage pending authorization from the AEP. They later announced that the AEP had restored power.
The La Joya Fire Department thanked the firefighters from Mission and McAllen for responding to the emergency call. (RELATED: At Least 15 People Die After Downed Power Lines Electrify Bridge: Reports)
Man electrocuted while trimming a tree in La Joyahttps://t.co/2SQZ5ZYLDu
— KRGV CHANNEL 5 NEWS (@krgv) January 18, 2025
Morgado was “a devoted husband, father, and friend” and “a beloved man of La Joya” who loved his job and the city, according to a GoFundMe campaign in his memory.
“The saw he was using made contact with power lines and in doing so our Father got stunned and was trapped in a tree. By the time the paramedics could get him down two hours had passed and so had he,” the fundraiser read in part.
The campaign has raised nearly half of the $9,000 goal as of publication.
“I wish I can be half the man he was. If I ever am, I’ll be happy,” Morgado’s son, Sebastian, told KRGV.
Originally from Veracruz, Mexico, Morgardo built his landscaping operation in La Joya over 20 years ago. He began by knocking on doors to get landscaping jobs, Sebastian said.
“I worked with him since I could walk. I was eight years old and he would take me with him and he taught me work ethic,” the son told the outlet. “I always knew this day would come — that I would have to help and provide for my family when he wasn’t here. I just didn’t think it would be so soon.”
A tree service company employee died under similar circumstances in Atlanta, Georgia, in May 2024. The man had reportedly been working on private property. A neighbor described the sight of the deceased trimmer “hanging there” as “very disturbing.” Another tree trimmer suffered electrocution on the job in Florida in June 2024, according to 10 Tampa Bay.
About 1000 people die across the U.S. every year from electrical injuries, with 400 of them caused by high-voltage electricity, according to a study.
