Window washers severely shocked

Two workers were seriously injured in Lynbrook on Saturday when the 40-foot-long window-washing pole they were holding was blown into a high-voltage power line, causing severe shocks to both men.
 
According to Nassau County detectives, the men, who were working for Brook Window Cleaning, headquartered on Sunrise Highway in Lynbrook, were preparing to wash the windows at Bank of America, at 300 Merrick Road, using 
a telescoping washing pole. Nicholas Genovese 58, of Staten Island, and his co-worker, Alan Weinberg 64, of Long Beach, were standing on the ground, both holding the bottom of the pole. Weinberg was “footing” — or bracing — the pole while Genovese was walking it up the building when a gust of wind blew the pole into a nearby power line. Both men were thrown to the ground by the shock.

Weinberg was in cardiac arrest when police arrived. Lynbrook officer Doug King and Nassau County Police Department Detective Gary Ferrucci began CPR, and were assisted by Lynbrook firefighters, who were responding to a house fire on Robertson Road when they were notified of a second call for a reported electrocution, Fire Department spokesman Steve Grogan said.
“The Emergency Medical Company was three blocks away and was immediately diverted to the bank,” Grogan recounted.
 When EMTs arrived, Weinberg was lying on the sidewalk in front of the bank and Genovese was lying nearby, being attended to by Lynbrook police officer Sal Sedita. Medics determined that Weinberg had no pulse and had been burned on his hands and feet. 
Genovese also had burns on his extremities, but was conscious.
For more than 20 minutes, Grogan said, EMTs performed CPR and defibrillated Weinberg without regaining a pulse. Finally, after a third defibrillation, Weinberg was revived in a Lynbrook ambulance on the way to South Nassau Communities Hospital. 

“Electricity killed him,” Grogan said, “and electricity brought him back to life.”

After being stabilized at SNCH, Weinberg was transferred to the Nassau University Medical Center Burn Unit for treatment of third- and fourth-degree burns on his hands and feet. He was reported to be in critical condition. 
Genovese was also treated at the burn unit for second- and third-degree burns, and was expected to be released on Tuesday.

Fire officials also reported that Weinberg’s brother was shocked in a similar incident 20 years ago on Freer Street in Lynbrook. He survived.