A freshman student at Delaware County's Williamson Free School of Mechanical Trades was electrocuted during a Friday afternoon class at the school's power plant, the junior college president said Saturday.
Guy S. Gardner said Michael Savage, 18, from Darby Township, apparently was wiring a large lamp when he was hit by a jolt of electricity.
"We're just in a grieving process. We continue to pray for Mike's family," said Gardner, a former U.S. astronaut who has been the college's president for the past year.
Savage was rushed by ambulance to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said.
Gardner said the school was still gathering information about the accident, which happened in the early afternoon. The college also will bring in accident experts to determine the exact cause and make sure the school's accident prevention policies are adequate.
"I understand accident investigations," said Gardner, referring to his background in the U.S. space program and as an Air Force pilot. "It's a bad policy to make early judgments."
Gardner said other students were with Savage in the power plant, but he said he didn't know how many or how close they were to him when the accident happened. He said there are about 40 students in Savage's electrical program, and they they typically would be together in the power plant together.
A county emergency team immediately was rushed to the school and began counseling students, together with the college chaplain. Additional counseling will be available tomorrow.
Gardner said there had been no other serious accident in at least 25 years, though some faculty members said there may have been an incident in the 1950s. The school has been open for 120 years.
Savage was a graduate of Academy Park High School in Sharon Hill High School and played for the school's football team. Gardner said his old school team held a brief ceremony for him at the Friday night game.
"He was a respected young man," Gardner said, "a great kid."
Contact Mark Fazlollah at 215-854-5831 or mfazlollah@phillynews.com
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