Crewman Killed On <I>X-Files</I> Shoot
A member of a television production crew working on an episode of the hit series X-Files was electrocuted and six others were injured Monday when an electrical line sent a 4,800-volt charge through a scaffold they were using.
Jim Engh, 38, died in the incident, The Hollywood Reporter reported Tuesday. The six other injured crew members were rushed to nearby hospitals for treatment. One was reported in critical condition Tuesday at UCLA Medical Center.
The workers were setting up scaffolding for a shot at the corner of Beverly Glen and Olympic Boulevard when one of the metal pipes came into contact with an overhead high-power line.
"It charged the entire scaffolding," fire department spokesman Jim Wells said. Six people were standing on the scaffolding, and a seventh person was on the ground, he said.
It was not immediately clear how the power line came into contact with the scaffolding, which was set up 15 feet above the ground at the back of a three-story apartment building, Wells said.
A statement from 20th Century Fox Television and the Fox network said Fox is conducting "an intensive investigation into the accident." Officials from the California Occupational Safety and Health Administration will conduct an official investigation.
According to a production notice at the scene, the crew was filming a scene involving dialogue, a foot chase down an interior rear stairwell and rain effects on rear stair windows.
"All of us are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of our friend and colleague Jim Engh," said X-Files Executive Producer Chris Carter. "Our hearts go out to his family and friends. He will be deeply missed by all who have known him and worked with him. Our thoughts and prayers are with the other crew members who were injured."
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