On today’s date (04-18-19), at approximately 6:45am, the New Braunfels Police Department and the New Braunfels Fire Department were called to First Baptist Church located in the 700 block of Cross St. for reports of a male that had received an electrical shock and was unconscious.
Officers and paramedics arrived at the scene and found an adult male lying in the street suffering from injuries associated with electrical shock. It was then learned that the male was part of a team of contractors that had been hired to wash the exterior windows of the church. At the time of the incident, the male had been using a long pole which inadvertently came into contact with some nearby power lines, causing the line to arc and sending an electric shock down the pole, injuring the male holding the pole.
Paramedics immediately began lifesaving measures and the man was transported to Christus Santa Rosa Hospital – New Braunfels where he was later pronounced deceased by Justice of the Peace for Pct. 3 Mike Rust. The victim has since been identified as 53-year old William Robert Alston from Bandera, Texas. Next of kin has been notified.
Officers kept that portion of Cross Street closed for approximately one hour while NBU crews checked on the power lines in that area. The road was reopened once the all-clear was given around 8:00am.