Jun 29, 2009 9:01 pm US/Eastern
N.J. Dad Speaks After Near Fatal Accident
MERCHANTVILLE, NJ (CBS 3) ―
CBS 3's Cydney Long talked exclusively to a South Jersey father of eight, who nearly died two weeks ago while trimming trees in Merchantville.
Tim Williams was experiencing just another day on the job when things went horribly wrong.
Williams survived a nearly deadly electric shock when he was harnessed 40 feet in the air trimming trees.
A branch broke off the tree Williams was working on and crashed onto a power line.
"As soon as I grabbed the branch, I felt my hand lock on. I know what not to do in a moment of panic. You do anything to make it stop," said Williams.
Tim's employee quickly dialed 911 to report that his co-worked was shocked.
"I was slumped over in a bent position in the harness. When I woke up, I was staring at my boots and my arms were dangling."
Williams is thankful he didn't touch the branch or his right hand with the other.
"Instead of the current going through my right side, it would have gone across and made a full circle and gone across my heart."
Once conscious, Tim thought of his wife and eight children, and his eight day hospital stay included skin grafts to heal his burns.
Doctors told Tim the amount of electricity that traveled through his right side, 13,000 volts, was enough to kill him or at least break his bones in an instant.
"It's a miracle he is still here. I don't know what our family would do without him. He showed me what it means to be a Dad and there is no better gift," said Tim's son, Zach.
"The most emotional thing for me was when I first saw my kids after the accident. I thank God in every way for all my blessings," said Williams.
Doctors will supervise Tim for the next two years, but he is expected to fully recover.
Tim isn't sure if he will return to the landscaping business, where he worked for 20 years, or pursue another path. Tim is currently attending Seminary school.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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