Powerline worker pulled from Columbia River after fall near Hanford

A powerline worker fell into the Columbia River along the Hanford Reach on Tuesday afternoon.

Emergency responders were called out at 2:30 p.m. to a report of a person needing rescuing from the river along Hanford’s eastern border with Franklin County.

Mission Support Alliance officials at Hanford said the person was not a Hanford employee, but was working on non-electrified power lines for Avista.

“We are saddened to learn that an employee of a contractor to Avista was injured today in the course of work on an Avista transmission line near Franklin County,” said a statement from the energy company. “We’re concerned for all individuals involved and care deeply about the safety of our employees and all those we work with.”

“We are still working closely with the teams involved and local authorities to understand the facts of the situation. We will share additional details as we know more,” said the company.

The transmission lines stretch across the river between Hanford and Franklin County.

Hanford Fire crews were called to help in the rescue. The worker’s condition was not immediately known.

This story was originally published December 17, 2019 at 4:02 PM.