ESCONDIDO, Calif. — A 24-year-old man died last Thursday morning after being electrocuted while hanging Christmas lights near a high-voltage powerline in Escondido, according to authorities.
The victim, identified as Antonio Pascual Mateo, was attempting to hang holiday lights on the roof of a residence on Skyline Drive when the incident occurred. Officials say he threw the lights over a powerline, resulting in an electric shock that left him hanging upside down from a nearby tree.
Emergency responders were called to the scene at 10:48 a.m. Paramedics arrived to find Mateo still suspended from the tree and immediately began rescue and recovery efforts. He was transported to Palomar Medical Center, where advanced life-saving measures were initiated.
Despite their efforts, hospital staff pronounced Mateo dead at 12:10 p.m. The San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office listed the cause of death as high-voltage electrocution, with no contributing conditions.
Authorities have ruled the death accidental. Mateo’s next of kin has been notified, and no further investigation is expected.