Worker suffers electric shock on Ballarat cycling course

A 47-year-old man remained in a critical condition in hospital last night, after suffering a major electric shock while setting up speakers at Buninyong for this weekend’s Cycling Australia Road National Championships.George Langley jnr was attaching speakers to a tree along Mt Buninyong Road just before 12pm yesterday, when one of the cables he was handling came into contact with an overhead power line.Ballarat Police Acting Sergeant Brendan Vann said it appeared Mr Langley jnr had been standing on top of a mini van attaching the speakers, when a co-worker threw him a speaker cable.“Another person has thrown him the cable intending for it to go over the top of the tree, but it’s struck the overhead power line instead,” Acting Sergent Vann said.Mr Langley jnr was rushed to Ballarat Health Services Base Hospital in a critical condition, before being airlifted to The Alfred hospital, where he remained last night.Paramedic Graham McGrath said Mr Langley jnr had gone into cardiac arrest as a result of his injuries, with a MICA unit and five further paramedics working for more than 30 minutes to revive him. Mr McGrath praised the efforts of Mr Langley jnr’s workmates and a passing cyclist, who performed CPR until emergency services arrived. “They should be congratulated for doing such an excellent job,” Mr McGrath said.The cyclist, who only wanted to be known as Paul, said he had done what anyone else would have done in a similar situation.“I rode past and saw a situation where some people needed some assistance, so I stopped and helped out where I could,” he said.Mr Langley jnr was working at the site as part of George Langley Public Address Systems – a family business started by his father.George Langley Public Address Systems is understood to be one of the City of Ballarat’s long-time contractors.Reacting to the news yesterday, Ballarat Regional Tourism director George Sossi said the accident had cast a shadow over the cycling championships.“Anything like this is an unfortunate accident, and it does cast some sort of shadow,” Mr Sossi said.“Our thoughts go out to George and his family.”Cycling Australia Road National Championships director John Craven said the incident was everyone’s “worst nightmare”.“It was a freakish accident and we all pray for his recovery,” Mr Craven said.WorkSafe was at the scene of yesterday’s accident and is investigating.