#ThankALineworker: Our Favorite Lineworker Stories

Lineworkers are both heroes and friends in their communities, and we know they do so much more than keep the lights on. In honor of Lineworker Appreciation Day, we rounded up some of our favorite stories over the past year of co-op crews going beyond the lines:

When Ordinary Workdays Become Life-or-Death Drama

Jacob McPherson, left, and Brian Sims, right, of Farmers Electric Cooperative in Greenville, Texas, received statewide Lifesaving Awards in March. Warren Huggins, middle, is the co-op’s safety specialist. (Photo: Courtesy of Texas Electric Cooperatives)

Two employees of Farmers Electric Cooperative in Texas received statewide lifesaving awards—one for rescuing a man from a fire and one for saving a drowning woman. (See the full story.)

Co-op Crew to the Rescue in a South Dakota Snowstorm

Meteorologists called the storm that hit South Dakota on March 13 a “bomb cyclone,” and high winds and heavy snow closed many roads in the state. (Photo By: Tyler Marken/Northern Electric Cooperative)

When snowplows couldn’t reach a trooper stranded in a blizzard, a co-op lineworker with a rough terrain vehicle braved the storm to help. (See the full story.)

‘The Right Guys at the Right Time’

Benton REA and Benton PUD crews labored for four hours to free motorists stuck in a rare February snowstorm in south-central Washington. (Photo Courtesy of Washington State Patrol)

Co-op and public utility district lineworkers in Washington state were honored by the state patrol for rescuing stranded motorists during a freak blizzard. (See the full story.)

Co-op Crew Turns to Horses to Reach Downed Line

Upshur RECC service tech Sam Clemens (left) returns from a flooded area after repairing a line on the property of co-op member Wade Beckham, with Upshur RECC apprentice Cory Richardson and Beckham’s son Brent. (Photo By: Upshur RECC)

After heavy rain and flooding hit East Texas, a line crew learned that horses can sometimes be more handy than bucket trucks for making a tricky repair. (See the full story.)

Lineman Saves Two Men From Drowning in Flash Flood

While restoring outages during recent floods, LaFollette Utilities’ Dayne Deavours saved two young men from drowning. (Photo By: Kodi Dupuy)

A Tennessee lineman quickly jumped into action when he encountered two men trapped in floodwaters while out on the job. (See the full story.)

Virginia Lineworkers Help a Baby in Distress

NOVEC’s Troy Price (l) and Mauricio “Mo” Paz outside the Manassas, Virginia, co-op’s headquarters. (Photo By: Emily Ready)

When a pair of lineworkers came across a frantic mother and her ailing baby on the side of the road, they didn’t hesitate to step in and take control of the situation. (See the full story.)

‘We’re Family Now’: Lineworker Rescues Drowning Man

“We’re family now.” Coweta-Fayette EMC’s Dustin Arrington (l) and Steve Ellison meet shortly after the lineworker saved the firefighter’s life in Panama City Beach, Florida. (Photo Courtesy: Dustin Arrington)

A Georgia lineman was on vacation in Florida earlier this year when he jumped into action to save a firefighter caught in a riptide. (See the full story.)

Lineworkers Rescue Motorist Trapped in Rising Floodwaters

Tennessee co-op employees were honored in the state capitol after their dramatic rescue of a woman whose pickup was swept off the road and into floodwaters. (See the full story.)