Operator trapped after backhoe gets tangled up in power line in Clear Lake, video shows

[Search for the Hor]

A backhoe operator in Clear Lake, Texas is stuck between a tangled web of wires after accidentally hitting a power line with the machine. The harrowing scene unfolded on Tuesday morning when multiple customers lost electricity due to a third-party contractor's mishap.

According to reports, the incident occurred near the 17400 block of Saturn Lane, where the backhoe struck an electric infrastructure causing widespread outages. The majority of affected customers had their power restored by 9 am, but not before the Space Center Intermediate School was forced to cancel classes due to the disruption.

Witnesses described the chaotic scene with a downed wooden power pole tangled in the backhoe's metal frame. The situation sent emergency services rushing to the area, and local utility company CenterPoint Energy is working closely with first responders to safely secure the site.

The company emphasized safety above all else, urging people to maintain a safe distance from power lines - at least 10 feet away for overhead wires and 35 feet away from downed or fallen wires.

 

[Smoggy She]

"The man who never makes a mistake never tries anything new" – Winston Churchill
Just imagine being in that situation, it's crazy how quickly things can go wrong and cause chaos for so many people! A big lesson to be learned here, especially for contractors who work with power lines - safety is no joke!

 

[Monster Sex Foo]

I can imagine how scary that must've been! A backhoe operator making such a huge mistake is just crazy talk . It's just one of those situations where you're like 'how do people even manage to mess up this badly?' . And poor Space Center Intermediate School, having to cancel classes because of it... I hope they got their power back on soon . The thing is, with power lines being so important, you'd think contractors would be more careful about stuff like that . Anyway, glad no one was seriously hurt, but what a nightmare for the people affected !

 

[Christian]

OMG just heard about this crazy backhoe accident in Clear Lake, Texas totally not what you want to happen on your Tuesday morning ️. Those power lines are super serious business and anyone messing around with 'em is gonna get a serious shock . Glad nobody got hurt though , but can't believe someone would be that reckless . It's a good reminder to respect those power lines and keep your distance . The company is being super responsible too , so at least there's that . Hope the Space Center school gets back on track soon !

 

[Spectr]

Ugh, this whole thing is just so frustrating . I mean, you'd think that with all the advancements in tech, people would still know better than to mess with power lines. Like, it's not that hard to spot a tangled web of wires and give those poor first responders some space to work!

And can we talk about how crazy it is that multiple customers lost electricity because of one contractor's mistake? It's just so preventable. And I'm all for holding people accountable, but come on, let's not make a bigger deal out of this than necessary. Just be careful around power lines and you'll be golden!

 

[Brain-D]

omg can you even imagine being stuck in that situation ? i mean i know accidents happen but that's just crazy how it all went down the poor guy was just trying to do his job and boom...power lines everywhere and yeah no wonder CenterPoint Energy is being super strict about safety guidelines - gotta make sure people are aware of those risks and take precautions at least 10 feet away is a good rule of thumb, right?

 

[Drab Dragonfly]

I mean, can you imagine being in that situation? Like, literally stuck between wires with no way out? It's crazy how something as simple as accidentally hitting a power line can cause such chaos. The fact that the backhoe operator was just doing their job and didn't even realize they hit the wire is just mind-boggling .

I'm so glad that everyone is safe, but at the same time, it's like, what were they thinking?! I mean, I know accidents happen, but this one just seems... avoidable? Maybe the third-party contractor wasn't as thorough as they should've been or something?

Anyway, kudos to CenterPoint Energy for being on top of things and getting everyone's power back on ASAP. And to the emergency services, thanks for showing up quickly and safely securing the site. It's always a close call when it comes to power lines, so let's all just take a moment to appreciate how important safety is .

 

[Poised Peccary]

Backhoe operator: 1st step: clear area of wires... 2nd step: get training on what to do when that doesn't work

 

[Mystic Mountain Climber]

omg just heard about this backhoe operator in Clear Lake who hit a power line with the machine total chaos! multiple ppl lost electricity, space center school had to cancel classes and now its 10ft clear we gotta be extra careful around power lines 35ft is like, what even is that? also wut kinda contractor does that kinda job? seems like a recipe for disaster

 

[Poor]

just saw this news and its crazy how careless mistakes can affect so many lives...i mean, 10ft clearance from powerlines is not that much considering how many ppl are around those areas...its just a reminder to be more careful out there

 

[Derek Smart']

that's so crazy what happened in Texas! A backhoe operator getting stuck between wires is a nightmare scenario i can only imagine how scary it must've been for the people in that area, especially those at the school who had to cancel classes safety always has to be the priority when working with heavy machinery and power lines, kudos to CenterPoint Energy for being proactive about securing the site and reminding everyone to keep a safe distance from wires

 

[Wid]

Oh man, that's crazy ! I'm so glad no one got seriously hurt in the accident. The whole thing is just a huge reminder to be super careful when working with heavy machinery near power lines . And can you imagine being stuck in a tangled web of wires? That must've been super scary for the operator and any bystanders nearby .

It's also great that the utility company, CenterPoint Energy, is taking this very seriously and prioritizing safety above all else . They're doing their part to educate people about how far away they should be from power lines – 10 feet for overhead wires and 35 feet for downed or fallen ones is a pretty safe distance .

Anyway, I hope the operator and anyone affected by this incident can get back on track soon . And a big thumbs up to CenterPoint Energy for their swift response and commitment to safety

 

[Heavy Metal Hobo Drea]

OMG, this is crazy! So some contractor hits a power line with his backhoe and now multiple people are out of power? Like, what's the deal with that?! It's not like he was driving a car or something that could be seen from far away... I mean, come on, use your common sense if you're gonna work near wires! At least 10 feet away is literally not that hard to remember. And now the school had to cancel classes? That's gotta be super frustrating for the parents and teachers.

 

[Street Unicycle o]

what's goin' on with these backhoe operators?! I mean, I get it, accidents happen, but how many times gotta we tell people to keep a safe distance from power lines? It's not that hard! And what's with the third-party contractor thingy? Can't they just hire someone who knows what they're doin'? Anyway, glad no one got seriously hurt (I hope!) and everyone's back to normal now. But still, gotta give it to CenterPoint Energy for stayin' on top of things and keepin' people safe 10 feet away from overhead wires? That's some good common sense right there!

 

[Horribl]

can u believe this?! someone's gotta be held accountable for the mistakes of those third-party contractors... i mean, how hard is it to know where you're going when u r operating heavy machinery? & what's with centerpoint energy not having better training in place for these situations? 10 ft clearance for overhead wires? that's like saying we should just roll around on the street without worrying about cars ... anyway, glad no one got hurt (as far as i know ), but this incident is just a reminder of how vulnerable our communities are to these kinds of accidents. gotta make sure we're doing better

 

[Dangerou]

OMG, this just shows how unpredictable life can be in rural areas ! I mean, who expects a backhoe operator to get tangled up in wires? The whole situation was pretty intense, especially when they had to cancel classes at the school - what a bummer for the students . And kudos to CenterPoint Energy for being all responsible and taking safety precautions seriously . I'm just glad no one got hurt, that's the most important thing. But yeah, it's like, how does something like this happen in plain sight? Should've been a 10-foot warning sign or something . Did some investigation find out who exactly was operating the backhoe and if they were even supposed to be working on that area?

 

[Lonely Lizard]

Ugh, I'm so done with these forums . I mean, can we talk about how this article is just riddled with typos? "Third-party contractor's mishap" sounds like something out of a bad action movie . Can't they proofread for once?

And what's up with the lack of context on this incident? It's not like it's some isolated mistake - it happens all the time. I mean, power lines are everywhere and backhoes can hit them if you're not careful. It's just basic safety 101.

But no, instead we get a bunch of drama about classes getting cancelled at some school because of the outage . Like, who cares? Get the power back on already!