NEW VINEYARD — A Canadian man delivering grain to a New Vineyard farm was taken to the hospital after the boom of his grain truck struck high tension wires shortly after 3 p.m. Wednesday.

Charles Bolduc, 21, of Cookshire, Quebec, was backing up his truck to unload grain when the boom that dispenses the grain from the truck struck high tension wires that run to a small barn, according to New Vineyard Fire Chief Douglas Churchill. When the boom struck the wires, the predominantly metal truck was electrified and Bolduc was shocked.

The accident happened just off a small dirt road behind a milk barn at Shady Lane Farm on Brahmer Road.

First responders from the New Vineyard Fire Department were performing CPR on Bolduc before NorthStar EMS arrived on the scene. With the assistance of Cpl. Matthew Brann of the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, they were able to get a pulse after using Brann’s automated external defibrillator, according to a press release from the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office.

NorthStar took over care of Bolduc when they arrived on the scene. The extent of Bolduc’s injuries was not available Wednesday night.

“It was a freak accident,” said Martin Lane, who owns the farm with his wife and brother. “It’s nobody’s fault.”

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Lane said he contacted the Canadian company, Equipment Yves Bolduc Inc., which employed the driver and was able to speak with the man’s father after the company released his phone number. Bolduc’s father was on his way to Franklin Memorial Hospital in Farmington from Canada on Wednesday night.

“You hate to see these things happen especially at this time of year,” Lane said.

The farmer said that there hadn’t been an accident of this nature on his farm before.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has been contacted about the accident, the release said.

Emergency responders from NorthStar EMS, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department, the New Vineyard Fire Department and the Farmington Fire Department had cleared the scene by 4 p.m.

No wires were downed when the boom struck the power lines, but a Central Maine Power crew was securing and checking the lines just after 4 p.m.

Lauren Abbate — 861-9252

labbate@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @Lauren_M_Abbate


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