"No way" workers could turn on pumps after "freaky accident"

A third day into the nearly citywide boil water advisory, we are getting some limited information about why it took about 50 minutes to restart the water pumps after a balloon hit power lines and knocked the pumps out of service.

Sewerage and Water Board Executive Director Ghassan Korban told WWL's Newell Normand that three operators on the scene.

When the first went to turn the pumps back on, he suffered what Korban said was a very serious injury.

"I would describe it as a freaky accident, a freak accident."

The executive director said that while some people are second guessing the two other employees who stayed by their coworkers side instead of repowering pumps, he is proud of them.

"The two other operators obviously rallied...  were there for their coworker, did the humane and human thing to do," Korban insisted. "They were awesome coworkers and friends."

He told WWL TV that the nature and severity of the injury left the other operators in no position to restore water pressure.

"That's all they were thinking about... There was no way any of us could have just looked at their colleague with serious injury and say, 'OK, I'm going to go turn on the pumps.'"

Korban says two supervisors eventually arrived and restored pumping power, but it was ten minutes too late to prevent the boil water advisory.

He said he could not divulge specific details of the injury.