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Man climbs Lauderhill pole, touches live wire, falls 50 feet

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LAUDERHILL, Fla. (AP) — Police say a Florida man climbed a light pole and made contact with a live wire before falling onto a sidewalk below as horrified bystanders watched.

Lauderhill Fire Rescue Capt. Jerry Gonzalez tells the South Florida SunSentinel the man was on fire as he fell Tuesday afternoon. He fell some 50 feet (15 meters).

A rescue crew happened to be working a nearby crash and saw the man fall. Gonzalez says the incident was "pretty graphic."

The man was taken to a hospital where he's being treated. WPLGreported he suffered burns on 60% of his body, plus entrance and exit wounds from the electric shock.

Florida Power & Light officials tell WSVN the man wasn't a utility worker.