TREGO COUNTY —On Dec. 9, a 911 call was placed at 3:17 p.m. to the Trego County Law Enforcement Center.

Clayton Donnell Barnhill of Grayson, La., was working on a communications tower approximately a half-mile east of Highway 283 on CC Road in rural Trego County when he fell 320 feet to the ground.

A deputy from the Trego County Sheriff’s Office arrived on scene at approximately 3:32 p.m. The death investigator, David Day arrived on scene at approximately 4:20 p.m., and Barnhill was pronounced dead at the scene at that time.

Based on reports by the Trego County Sheriff’s Office, a coworker on the tower with the deceased heard the deceased “click” his safety harness on, then the deceased leaned back and started to fall to the ground. Another co-worker on the ground, reported that the deceased hit three guy wires as he fell to the ground.

Following an investigation by Trego County Coroner Dr. Lyle Noordhoek and the Trego County Sheriff’s Office, it has been determined that the cause of death was accidental.