Chelan PUD Investigates Contractor Death

A contractor working on a project for Chelan PUD was killed Tuesday afternoon.

Chelan County Coroner Earl Crowe said 24-year-old Ivan Garcia of Yakima was working at the top of an electrical pole on South Lakeshore Drive about 5 miles north of Chelan at around 11 a.m. when the pole snapped. Crowe said Garcia fell approximately 23 feet.

Garcia was taken to Lake Chelan Health and was pronounced dead.

An internal memo was sent out to Chelan PUD employees notifying them of the incident.

PUD Spokesperson Rachel Hansen confirmed the death.

Get our free mobile app

"This is a tragic incident and our deepest sympathies go out to the crewmember's family, friends, and co-workers," Hansen said. "It's still very early in the process, and we're just focused on learning everything we can about this incident, and we're working with local and state agencies to investigate what happened."

There is currently no additional information about the incident available, but Hansen said the PUD will provide updates in the coming days.

This is a developing story.