Cameron Clark, a 1st Power Line Technician at Lumbee River EMC, ranked among the fastest in the state at the 2021 Pole Top Rescue Competition at Nash Community College in Rocky Mount.

This biennial event pits line workers against the clock and each other as they demonstrate essential lifesaving skills and the job knowledge required to maintain the lines that power the lives of electric cooperative member-consumers. Each competitor had to win a similar event at their local cooperative to advance to this state championship competition. 

Each line worker executed a rescue scenario during the competition of retrieving an unconscious coworker from atop a utility pole. The competitor, dressed in full climbing gear, must radio for help, scale 20 feet up the utility pole, lower a 105-pound mannequin and begin lifesaving procedures. All North Carolina electric cooperative line workers must complete this same scenario in less than five minutes to maintain their certification to work on co-op lines. Cameron completed the scenario in 3 minutes 18 seconds.

The video of his run can be viewed here: