Abstract: Hurricane Isabel caused numerous power outages throughout Maryland. Out of state electrical power repair crews came to Maryland to assist BGE in restoring power. One of the many companies was Entergy Mississippi, Inc. They brought 132 employees with them. On September 20, 2003, a crew of seven went and finished the job they had started a day before. While they were doing that, an Entergy official and a BGE official went to this crews next work site to check out the situation. They inspected the work area; discussed what repairs were to be done, and decided what materials and vehicles needed to be brought to this work site. This next work area was located in a wooded area that had a stream running through it. The area was located behind houses on Cranwood Court and Pumpkin Seed Court in Pikesville, Maryland. It was noted that a tree had fallen and snapped the electrical lines and that the downed electrical lines were hot. The Entergy official returned to where this crew was working; they had finished their work and they all went to lunch. After lunch and before they left for the next work site they had a brief tailboard meeting where they discussed the type of work that was to be done there. The crew of seven, the Entergy official, and the BGE official traveled to the next site and parked their vehicles on Cranwood Court. Entergys eight employees and the BGE employee all walked behind one of the homes down into the wooded area to a section that was somewhat cleared. This was on a sloped hill on the far side of the stream and away from the downed power lines. This area gave a good overview of the work area. An in depth tailboard meeting discussing the work to be done was held where everything was explained and reviewed. The different electrical poles were pointed out and the area where the downed lines were was pointed out. Everyone was told at least three times that there were downed electrical lines and that they were all considered to be hot or live. The electrical pole located behind the home was to be the last pole worked on. Everyone in the crew indicated that they understood. Two Entergy crews totaling five employees and the BGE employee went to the Stevenson Road work area where the power to the whole area including the wooded area was to be turned off. When they were done there they would give an all clear over their walkie-talkies. Everyone had been told that no work was to start in the wooded area until the all clear was given and received. After the all clear was given the third crew of three employees would go to work on the poles and lines in the wooded area. When the two crews went up to Stevenson Road the third crew remained in the wooded area where the meeting had taken place. This third crew consisted of foreman and a linemen and an employee. Staying on the far side of the stream away from the downed lines the foreman and the lineman walked a short distance to the east to decide which pole would have the grounds installed. The employee walked back up to the trucks on Cranwood Court and started to put on his tool belt and get other equipment. With the foreman staying in the wooded area the lineman walked up to the trucks on Cranwood and started gathering the equipment he would need. Two different residents talked to these two men with the second one asking if they thought the power would be back on by nightfall. The employee who was in front of one of the trucks stated that he did not think the power would be back on. After that the lineman continued to gather his equipment going into two different trucks. While he was doing that the lineman heard the circuit operate as did the foreman who was in the clearing in the woods. The lineman heard two screams and the foreman heard one scream. The foreman ran back to the trucks on Cranwood Court and met the lineman; they both thought the screams that had been heard over the walkie talkies had come from one of the Stevenson Road crews. For whatever reason, the employee,