Yellowknife (June 16/03) - An apprentice from Iqaluit won the NWT Power Corporation's seventh annual Pole Top Competition.

Cheered on by Grade 5 students, 10 linemen competed at Yellowknife's Jackfish Plant on June 6.

Neco Towtongie took first place with the fastest time of one minute and 50 seconds.

Gary Guy from Resolute Bay took second place with a time of two minutes and one second.

Each competitor had to climb a pole and lower a dummy that represented an electrocuted worker. They men a plaque and an artist's print.

"Practising pole top rescue is pretty beneficial to our guys," said Stephen Wood, a Nunavut Power line supervisor.

"Like CPR, if you don't practise, when it comes time to use it you go blank."

Robert Schmidt, safety manager at NWT Power Corp, said that "it's surprising for an apprentice to win." Most of the competitors have been working for 15 to 20 years.