Worker fixing cable line in Feather Sound after Hurricane Irma dies after fall from ladder

ST. PETERSBURG

A 53-year-old worker repairing a cable line in the Feather Sound area on Saturday fell from his ladder and died, the Pinellas-Pasco Medical Examiner's Office said.

It is the first death attributed to Hurricane Irma in Pinellas County, said director of forensic investigations Bill Pellan.

Kelly Sandridge of St. Petersburg worked for Knight Enterprises, a contractor for the cable company Spectrum. He had climbed about 20 feet up on a ladder and was repairing a line at 14133 Crane Ter. when he fell.

A neighbor heard the fall, found Sandridge on the ground, and called 911. Sandridge died at Bayfront Health St. Petersburg. His death was ruled an accident, Pellan said.

Another death in Pinellas was initially believed to be storm-related, but the medical examiner's office later determined it wasn't.

State officials reported this week that Hurricane Irma's death toll has reached 42.

Times staff