VALDOSTA, Ga. — A Georgia national guardsman is recovering after officials said he was knocked unconscious by downed wires while responding to cleanup after Hurricane Helene.
It happened Friday, according to Gen. Dwayne Wilson with the Georgia National Guard.
Georgia Emergency Management Agency head Chris Stallings shared the news during a Saturday news conference from Valdosta, reporting that a guardsman on a "cut team" clearing trees stepped on a live power line, "which rendered the soldier unconscious." Stallings said the soldier had to be transported to the hospital.
It's one of the many dangerous challenges Stallings said first responders are facing as they are working to clear debris. It's a cautionary message for the public, Stallings said, for people to stay clear of the roads for their own safety.
"I'm asking you as a local, please stay off the roads if you don't have necessary travel," he implored. "Yes, we had 17 fatalities, and that is terrible, but that number will most likely climb as a result of clean-up. We lose more individuals through the clean-up process due to dangerous situations."
Further, Stallings said that many roads are passable still by only one lane, and those open lanes should be for any emergencies. "So, if there's only one lane of travel, that's what our first responders are."
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp echoed that plea, describing how he saw people in Atlanta standing next to a downed power line "just chatting."
"Those things are really dangerous, and like what happened with our guardsmen, they may be touching something else that you may touch," Kemp explained. "If you don't have to get out right now, or if you do have to get out, just try to stay away from these areas where roads are blocked and we have crews working. So, just try to stay clear and use common sense, uh and just give us a few days to at least get these roads clear."