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Family shares story after 17-year-old badly shocked while working in SLC

Posted at 12:41 PM, Aug 03, 2018
and last updated 2018-08-05 23:34:24-04

SALT LAKE CITY -- A 17-year-old was taken to a hospital in extremely critical condition Friday after he suffered an electric shock while working with a crew doing tree removal in Salt Lake City Friday.

Det. Greg Wilking with Salt Lake City Police say the incident occurred in the area of 300 South and 1100 East. Fox 13 News first heard report of the incident around 12:30 p.m.

Wilking said a crew working on some tree removal had brought in a large crane, which came into contact with power lines.

"That crane activated from the power lines that were in the area," Wilking said. "There was a gentleman that was off to the side of the crane, made contact with that crane when it was energized and was [shocked].”

17-year-old Jared Aguilar was rushed to the hospital after being shocked, and his family and loved ones were worried that he wouldn't pull through.

“It was the scariest thing of my life, he goes, 'your son has been electrocuted, and he still has a pulse, you better get there now,'” said Leyla Aguilar, Jared's mother said. "He’s my younger one, he’s my baby so it’s hard being the mother.”

Fire personnel who happened to be in the area arrived on scene and rendered aid shortly after, and the man was subsequently taken to a hospital in extremely critical condition.

Wilking said the tires on the crane truck melted and ignited a small fire, which was quickly extinguished.

A GoFundMe has been set up to help cover hospital expenses for the Aguilar family and can be found here.