KIRBYVILLE - by Steve Stewart/KJAS - A Louisiana man died on
Thursday evening after he received a severe electrical shock in
Kirbyville. The accident occurred shortly after 7:00 in front of
Weaver Motors on Highway 96.
Kirbyville Police Chief Jeff Clopp said 38-year-old Charles D.
Goudeau of Ville Platte was an employee of Koigi's Signs out of
Slidell, Louisiana. Clopp said Goudeau was using a cherry picker
and bucket to change light bulbs in the sign when he apparently
came in contact with a live wire.
Clopp said two other workers, who were on the ground operating the
truck when the accident occurred, lowered Goudeau to the ground
where he was pulled out of the bucket by Kirbyville Police
officers.
Clopp said that an ambulance was not available and that the first
medical personnel to arrive at the scene was a medical first
responder from the Buna Fire Department who performed CPR on
Goudeau for over an hour, until an ambulance and EMS personnel
arrive at the scene.
A medical helicopter was sent to the scene, but Goudeau was
not stable and he had to instead be transported by ambulance to
Christus Jasper Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at
9:07 p.m.