A utility worker escaped serious injury after hitting an underground power line while digging on the side of Hart Lane Wednesday morning.

The 19-year-old man was knocked off his feet after making contact with the power line shortly after 11 a.m. Fire and medic crews responded and the young man was taken to Harrison Medical Center in Seattle for observation.

The man was a private contractor working for Comcast, according to Fire Marshal Luke Carpenter. He was digging along the side of the road when he struck the power line with a pick ax.

“He was digging in a ditch, looking for an electrical line, and he found it,” Carpenter said. “He was using a pick ax to scrape away some dirt when he contacted the line.”

Carpenter said that the line had 7,000 volts of electricity running through it. The incident blew a 100-amp fuse nearby, causing power to go out in the area.

Approximately 75 homes lost electricity.

Puget Sound Energy repair crews were quickly called in. By late Wednesday evening, only four homes remained without power.

Puget Sound Energy officials advised that it is best to call 811 before digging anywhere.