Abstract: At approximately 11:40 a.m. on September 24, 2002, a crane operator and a coworker at a storage and maintenance facility rigged a 1970 two-ton Cyclone Crane that was mounted on the bed of a 1979 International S1600 Truck. The crane was equipped with a 0.38-inch wire rope and a mouse hook with a 3-inch radius. They prepared to lift an electrical panel for a new water service well. The crane operator manipulated the crane's boom to keep it at least 10 feet away from an overhead power line. He did not notice that the crane's hook, which was stowed for travel, had become stuck on the traveling lug. As the crane moved, the hook suddenly detached and struck the crane operator's right forearm. He suffered a puncture to his forearm and a soft tissue injury, and was transported by helicopter to the Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs, where he was hospitalized for three days.