Critically injured Priest Rapids Dam employee improves

The most severely injured worker at the electrical explosion at Priest Rapids Dam is doing better, according to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

The man, whose name has not been released, has had his condition upgraded from “critical” to “serious” two weeks after he was injured.

Two Grant Public Utility District employees, both men in their 40s, are in intensive care at Harborview. The second man, who also is in serious condition, is awake and alert, according to Harborview. Both are undergoing burn surgeries.

Four other workers injured when a breaker for one of the dam’s 10 generators malfunctioned have been released from hospitals.

Notes of support to the men and their families may be sent to www.uwmedicine.org/patient-resources/email-patient. For the patient's name, enter "dam explosion patients in intensive care."

A fund has been set up for any family or worker expenses not already covered by Grant PUD or other programs. Send donations to Granco Credit Union, P.O. Box 127, Ephrata, Wash., 98823. Donations should be marked "Priest Rapids Family Fund."

This story was originally published October 22, 2015 at 12:23 PM with the headline "Critically injured Priest Rapids Dam employee improves."