In the quiet town of Willcox, Arizona, a recent afternoon took an unexpected turn, transforming a serene desert day into a tense wildlife rescue operation. Residents looked skyward, not at a passing cloud, but at a sight that defied belief: a young brown bear, perched precariously atop a towering power pole. The bear, later estimated to be a juvenile, had somehow scaled roughly 40 feet, settling amongst a tangle of live electrical wires that pulsed with a deadly 7,200 volts. The immediate danger was palpable; one wrong move could have been catastrophic. Calls flooded into the local utility provider, Sulphur Springs Valley Electric Cooperative (SSVEC), as the community held its breath, hoping for a miracle.
When the emergency call came in, SSVEC workers Werner Neubauer and his apprentice, Efren Gallego, knew this wasn’t a typical service request. Arriving on the scene, they were met with the startling image of the bear, its brown fur contrasting sharply with the clear blue sky, looking both out of place and deeply distressed. Their first, non-negotiable priority was safety – both for the bear and for everyone on the ground. Without hesitation, they initiated a plan to de-energize the section of the grid. The power went out, plunging a portion of Willcox into temporary darkness, but simultaneously removing the immediate threat of electrocution that loomed over the frightened animal. This crucial step transformed a potentially tragic standoff into a rescue mission with hope.
With the immediate danger averted, Werner carefully maneuvered a bucket truck upwards, ascending towards the stranded creature. In his hands, he held a long fiberglass stick—a standard tool for utility work, but now repurposed for a delicate interaction with a wild animal. As the bucket neared, the bear, overwhelmed and perhaps a little shy, reacted in a way that tugged at the heartstrings of the onlookers: it covered its eyes, a poignant gesture of fear and vulnerability. Werner, maintaining a remarkable calm, began to gently nudge and guide the bear with the stick, encouraging it to consider the long journey back down. The suspense was almost unbearable for those watching below, as every tentative movement of the bear was met with hushed anticipation.
