A California man was electrocuted in a tragic accident while hanging Christmas lights on a house for the holiday season.

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While decorating a client’s home in Escondido, California, Antonio Pascual Mateo was hanging lights on the property and around a tree when he inadvertently tossed the string of lights over a power line.

According to the San Diego County Medical Examiner, when the lights came into contact with a live wire, a circuit was formed that caused electricity to flow, resulting in the electrocution of a 24-year-old worker.

First responders discovered Mateo hanging upside down from a tree, where he remained trapped for an hour. They had to wait for San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) to cut the power before they could safely rescue him.

“First unit arrived on scene and found a worker suspended in the air via a waist harness, it appeared that he had come in contact with some high-power tension lines,” Escondido Battalion Chief explained, per KUSI.

The Man Remained Hanging for an Hour Following the Christmas Tree Lights Accident

After Mateo was rescued, first responders administered “advanced cardiovascular life support.” They then transported him to Palomar Medical Center, approximately six miles away. Sadly, he was pronounced dead an hour and 22 minutes after the incident. The cause of death was determined to be accidental due to high-voltage electrocution.

Meanwhile, Mateo’s grieving family is seeking assistance to raise $20,000 through GoFundMe. These funds will cover the expenses of transporting Mateo’s remains from California to his hometown in Guatemala. There, his mother can receive them for burial.

“He was a brother, a son and an uncle. His name was Antonio Pascual. He had so much to live, only 24 years old,” reads the fundraiser in part. “To late to save, forever young he will remain. Christmas lights forever having a meaning to us, he will remain in our hearts for eternity,” the fundraiser added.

As of this writing, the GoFundMe has raised $13,600.