Death of Montana mechanic highlights threats to his job and strength of community

BOZEMAN — What keeps the electricity flowing? It's the men and women who risk their lives – sometimes 100 feet in the air.

Cole Boss – a lineman for over 18 years – began his career in Washington and moved to Montana to continue seeking thrills.

“That's after work, at night, on holidays. When you have a vacation planned. And everyone wants electricity and relies on us, and that's our job. That's what we're committed to,” says Boss.

He says the job involves more than just climbing power lines.

“We do what some carpenters do; we do what some steelworkers do; we do what some trenchers do. And on top of that, we do a lot of wiring and electricity,” says Boss.

He says danger is part of his job, but it also makes him think.

“My son mentioned that he wanted to be a linesman like me, which is good, but I started thinking about things I never did in my early twenties,” says Boss.

He has experienced dangers first-hand many times throughout his career.

“You know, equipment has caught fire, there have been a few explosions and a few people have been injured over the years. That's not good,” says Boss.

He reflects on the recent death of 28-year-old Lucas Fowler, a line worker at Sun River Cooperative who died on Friday, August 9.

Fowler was working on a single-phase power line south of Conrad when the pole fell and he was killed.

Fourteen of the state's 25 cooperatives – nonprofit utilities owned and operated by their members – traveled to Sun River to pay their respects.

These included: Beartooth Electric Cooperative; Big Horn County Electric Cooperative; Fergus Electric Cooperative; Glacier Electric Cooperative; Lincoln Electric Cooperative; Marias River Electric Cooperative; NorVal Electric Cooperative; Park Electric Cooperative; Ravalli Electric Cooperative; Sheridan Electric Cooperative; Sun River Electric Cooperative; Vigilante Electric Cooperative; Yellowstone Valley Electric Cooperative

And even NorthWestern Energy, although the company is not part of the cooperatives.

“We are a close brotherhood. Not just at the state level, but across the country. When something like this happens, the family comes together. The mechanics come together and we do what we can for the affected teams and families,” says Boss.

Ryan Hall, communications director for the Montana Electric Cooperatives Association, cites a lineman who honored Fowler in Sun River.

“He said, 'Linesmen across the country are a brotherhood; in Montana they're a family,'” Hall says.

He saw the brotherhood in full strength last Saturday.

“They were standing next to their trucks and waiting because they wanted to be there when the first car came through. So they stood outside in the heat in a field where these trucks were parked across the road. So they could stand there with their hard hats on their hearts. It was special for everyone there,” Hall says.

According to his boss, such moments bring him back to the reality of his job.

“It's not just me. It brings everyone back down to earth a little bit. You're not invincible, so remember the simple things and play it safe,” says Boss.

Ultimately, he loves his job.

“Yup, and we are proud of it.”