Man Electrocuted to Death by Christmas Lights, Body Left Hanging Upside Down

A man in Escondido, San Diego, was electrocuted to death on November 21 while trying to put up Christmas lights—with his lifeless body left hanging upside down by his waist harness.

Knewz.com has learned that 24-year-old Antonio Pascual Mateo reportedly threw his Christmas lights over a high-voltage power line, sparking the electrocution.

The Escondido Fire Department responded to the scene after the incident and found Mateo hanging upside down from a tree.

In a statement to the media, the Escondido Battalion Chief said on the scene of the incident:

“First unit arrived on scene and found a worker suspended in the air via a waist harness, it appeared that he had come in contact with some high-power tension lines.”

According to reports, the 24-year-old was left hanging for about an hour while fire officials waited for crews from the San Diego Gas & Electric to shut off power in the neighborhood.

After he was rescued from the tree, first responders rushed Mateo to the Palomar Medical Center in Escondido.

However, it was too late and the 24-year-old was pronounced dead at the hospital, according to reports. A medical examiner ruled Mateo’s death an accident.

His family members have organized a GoFundMe page for the young man, in order to raise money to transport his body from California to the city of Guatemala, Mateo’s birthplace.

While Mateo will be buried in Guatemala, the GoFundMe page mentioned that a funeral will be held for him in California as well.

“[Mateo] was a brother, a son and a uncle. His name was Antonio Pascual. He had so much to live, only 24 years old… He always took care of his mother and family,” the fundraiser page read.

“He had been working on putting up Christmas lights around the tree… Sadly he was electrocuted by the power lines, as he was fixing the Christmas lights. He fell down and stayed in the tree, trapped for an hour,” the GoFundMe page read.

“Rescue team was forced to wait until the power company had to turn off power. To late to save, forever young he will remain,” the fundraiser page added.

It further stated that “Christmas lights forever [have] a meaning” to the Pascual family, adding that Mateo “will remain in our hearts for eternity.”

As of now, the family has been able to raise $15,080 of its $20,000 goal—which was set after “careful consideration of how much the expenses are from making funeral arrangements here in [California], to transporting him to the city of Guatemala for his burial to finally rest in his birthplace and for his mother to receive him there.”

“That is our ultimate goal to do so,” the GoFundMe page stated.

In light of the incident, holiday safety is “top of mind” for officials in San Diego, according to reports, with people in the light installation sector advising the use of extreme caution when putting up holiday lights to avoid accidents such as these.

Christmas Light Installer Emelio Linares, the owner of SD Light Guys, said in a statement that Mateo’s tragic death has become “a big topic of discussion among light installers nationwide.”

“If you’re ever in doubt when it comes to electrical, take a second, reassess,” Linares advised.

The Holiday Lighters owner Jay Hobson warned not to hang up Christmas lights while they are still plugged in.

“Organize your stuff. Taking your time is the best,” Hobson said in a statement to Fox News-affiliate KSWB-TV.

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