BOISE, Idaho (KGW) — A 39-year-old Oregon man was killed in a landslide Saturday while doing contract work for Idaho Power to secure a rock shelf above a road on the Idaho-Oregon border, authorities said.
The Adams County Sheriff’s Office said deputies from Adams County in Idaho and Baker County in Oregon responded to a 911 call about an industrial accident in Hells Canyon, The Idaho Statesman reported.
According to the call, a landslide above a road between the community of Oxbow in northeast Oregon and Hells Canyon Dam along the Snake River sent rocks and debris onto the workers and equipment below.
Deputies found worker Stacey Keen of Tillamook, Oregon, suspended in a boom-and-bucket truck, where he was working when the slide occurred. Authorities said Keen was killed by rocks and debris.
Idaho Power safety director Bryan Brandel told the newspaper the utility is working closely with the teams involved and local authorities to understand the facts of the situation.
Deputies used boats to rescue and transport stranded workers, while Idaho Power geologists and Occupational Safety and Health Administration officials assessed the area for additional potential landslides. Once the area was deemed safe, first responders recovered Keen’s body.
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