Take care in hanging roof lights for holiday

Alex Johnson climbed onto his roof to hang Christmas lights as dark was falling Nov. 16.

Johnson, 31, a longtime roofer who lives in southwest Oklahoma City, was trying to hurry before the sun set.

Then he misjudged the edge and stepped off the roof, falling to the ground 15 feet below. He landed on his side on the grass, but was knocked unconscious by the impact.

“Thankfully it wasn’t concrete,” Johnson said.

Johnson, who is 6 feet tall and weighs about 260 pounds, was taken to a hospital and treated for a concussion. He still has pain in his left arm, but no bones were broken.

“People really need to be careful out there. I shouldn’t have been up there at dark by myself,” Johnson said.

He’s not the only one to take a fall while hanging Christmas lights. Emergency Medical Services Authority ambulance crews respond to several such calls each year, spokeswoman Lara O’Leary said.

A 60-year-old man tumbled off his roof before Thanksgiving Day, O’Leary said. He was taken

to a hospital, but wasn’t seriously hurt.

Roofs can be icy even if the ground is not, so extra caution should be taken, O’Leary said. Early morning dew can also cause slippery roofs.

Tips to avoid falling include wearing closed-toed shoes with good traction, working in the daylight and not overextending ladders.

People should use outdoor Christmas lights on- ly, use proper outdoor extension cords, and stay away from power lines or electric feeder lines that run from a power pole to the house.