"He was moving the lift and got too close to the power line, and the rim arced it to a metal grate on the street," Matlock said. "He was very lucky - it could have killed him."

Instead, the accident simply left Garrett stuck in the basket of the hydraulic lift, unable to get back down.

The Corvallis Fire Department dispatched several vehicles to the scene, including a ladder truck, which took up a position in Van Buren Avenue next to the disabled lift.

About 12:50 p.m., after workers from Pacific Power made sure none of the electric lines in the immediate vicinity were live, firefighters hoisted their hydraulic ladder up to the cherry picker's basket. A firefighter helped Garrett step onto the ladder, which lowered both men safely back to the ground.

Garrett, who was able to walk unaided and did not appear badly hurt, was checked by Fire Department paramedics before being taken to Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center. He was listed in good condition Friday afternoon. His age and hometown were not released.

A spokesman for Pacific Power said the accident knocked out electricity to about 2,500 homes and businesses for about 30 minutes. A little before 1 p.m., power was restored to all but one customer. The last user was back on line by 2:41.