LADWP Employee Electrocuted In Underground Wilmington Vault

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – A Los Angeles Department of Water and Power employee was electrocuted Thursday morning while working in an underground vault in Wilmington.

The electrocution occurred at around 11 a.m. while he was part of a crew that was performing "cable splicing" work, the agency said. The victim came into contact with an energized circuit.

He coworkers pulled him out of the vault and gave him CPR. He was rushed by ambulance to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

His name was not immediately released.

"This tragic incident serves as a reminder that the work that many LADWP employees perform on a daily basis to keep our city running, can be hazardous," the agency said in a statement. "Our employees who work to keep our lights on and water flowing are unsung heroes, and on days like today, we are reminded just how vital they are to all of us."