Burn victim transferred to children's hospital

A contractor who was critically injured by about 12,000 volts of electricity Saturday afternoon in an accident at the Super Wal-Mart under construction on West Second Street has been transferred to another Indianapolis hospital's burn unit.\nScott Shelton, 35, of Anderson, was moved Tuesday to the Riley Hospital for Children, located near Wishard. He is still listed in critical condition. A spokeswoman at Riley said that while Shelton was transferred for a particular reason, she could not release that information.\nTwo other contractors who were also severely burned in Saturday's accident -- Steve Abbott, 27, of Otterbein, Ind., and Robert Eury, 29, of Bloomington -- were also listed in critical condition Tuesday night at Wishard Memorial Hospital's burn unit. They are currently recovering from second- and third-degree burns that cover more than 90 percent of their bodies. \nThe men were part of a five-person team running electrical lines through the main breaker box of the building Saturday, when a piece of metal touched the electrical panel, Van Buren Township Fire Chief Tim Deckard said.\n"It was a piece of metal that came in contact with that -- what we call the busbar," Deckard said. A busbar usually consists of several large strips of copper or other metal that conduct electricity around a switchboard or fusebox.\n"At that point, the electrical panels inside that room became electrical sources, (and) they shorted," he said.\nThe electrical short inside the small back room sent an energy arc of about 4,000 volts sparking out of the panel, Deckard said, effectively setting the men on fire. Deckard said the arc lasted for about 20 seconds and came six to eight feet out from the box. \n"They were not electrocuted," Deckard said. "They did not physically come in contact with electricity. Their injuries were sustained from fire, not electrocution." \nThe three burn victims were life-flighted to Wishard that afternoon. The other two men on the team, Craig Dodds and Casey Shepherd, were both near the doorway of the room and received only minor injuries, which were treated at Bloomington Hospital. Their ages and hometowns were not released.\nThe Van Buren Township Fire Department's investigation into the cause of the accident is still ongoing. The company the men were working for will not be released to the public until the investigation is completed.\nJason Wetzel, a spokesperson from Wal-Mart's corporate office, expressed concern for the injured men. \n"Of course anyone who works for or with Wal-Mart is our first concern," Wetzel said. "We put their health and wellness above all else. We wish them a speedy recovery, and we are glad no one else has been injured."\nThe Monroe County Sheriff's Department Deputy Randy Jacobs was unable to be reached for comment regarding the accident.