Abstract: A power line crew for an electrical contractor was replacing older utility poles with new ones. One new pole had been set in a new hole earlier in the morning. An apprentice power line worker on the crew was in a harness near the top of the old pole. He was to bring the new pole to a vertical position by tying the two poles together with a rope. Coworkers heard a groan and looked up. They saw the employee on the pole slumped over and began rescue procedures. Despite their efforts, the apprentice died of electrocution. The electric utility owning the overhead power line investigated the accident. They found that there was no current leakage in the pole or from the surrounding lines. However, when they tested the rope that was to secure the two poles together, they found that the rope had enough moisture in it to make it conductive. The electric utility concluded that the apprentice had touched the overhead power line when he tossed rope around the poles.