Chatfield Elementary School was evacuated for a short time Friday morning after a contractor cut a nearby two–inch gas line. Two workers were sent to St. Mary's Hospital after being electrocuted at the site of the leak.
A contractor was working at a residential construction site when the unmarked line was cut by a back hoe at about 9AM. Gas from the cut line drifted west causing the temporary evacuation of the school.
Two Xcel energy workers were clamping the line when they were electrocuted while standing in a ditch. Both men were wearing heavy gloves at the time. The workers were taken to St. Mary's Hospital for a checkup but were reported to be uninjured.
Mesa County Sheriff's Deputies say it took only about five minutes to evacuate students from the school. They were taken to nearby Rocky Mountain Elementary School, where they stayed through lunch before being returned to their school at 11:30.
