Two men escaped injury Wednesday afternoon when their aluminum ladder crashed into a power line.

The Permanent Coating Solutions employees were moving the 40-foot extension ladder in preparation to begin applying liquid siding to Trinity Christian Church at the corner of Franklin and Bank streets around 2:50 p.m., said Capt. James T. Judkins, spokesman for the Suffolk Fire Department.

The ladder fell into a 7,200 volt electric line, possibly because of a wind gust, he said.

&uot;If they had been holding the ladder when it made contact with the power lines, they could have been seriously injured,&uot; said Judkins. &uot;They were very lucky.&uot;

The two men, whose names were not available at press time, were taken to Obici Hospital.

The accident left parts of downtown without power, he said.

allison.williams@suffolknewsherald.com