Reporter sues CenterPoint for injuries in incident that killed four during Harvey
https://www.chron.com/business/energy/article/Reporter-sues-CenterPoint-for-injuries-that-13135018.phpAugust 6, 2018
A journalist for a London newspaper sued CenterPoint Energy for injuries he received when a rescue boat tangled with live power lines during Hurricane Harvey, killing four of the seven people in the boat.
Alan Butterfield, a reporter with Daily Mail who lives in Salt Lake City, accused CenterPoint of failing to shut off power in the neighborhoods along Greens Bayou, which was flooded by Hurricane Harvey. The group was headed to rescue a wheelchair-bound resident and Butterfield came along to report on the mission....
...In the lawsuit filed Monday morning in Harris County state district court, Butterfield said it became obvious there were live submerged power lines in the water because of the sparkling and noise coming from them. The group tried to turn their boat around, but the electricity flowing through the water killed the engine, making it impossible to navigate, according to the lawsuit.
The boat began to move toward the live power lines and Butterfield jumped out. He was severely shocked, he said, and managed to escape by climbing a tree where he stayed for nearly 24 hours before he was rescued. Butterfield accused CenterPoint of negligence for failing to take reasonable care to ensure it shut off power to the area during the hurricane, according to the lawsuit....