[June 18, 2013] BRIEF: Doing the dirty work: Gilbert man Koon rappels alongside Horse Mesa Dam Tweet Jun 18, 2013 (East Valley Tribune (Mesa - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- For Gilbert resident and Salt River Project journeyman lineman Josh Koon, the danger of his job doesn't come from the 30 stories he rappels. Instead, the true moments of worry come when he isn't thinking about the situation. Koon spent a day in May working along the 305-foot Horse Mesa Dam located at Salt River replacing nine anchors as part of SRP's anchor replacement project. The project was completed during the first week of June. The job's just a bit dangerous given the 30-story gap between Koon and the ground, but he said the approximately 15 years he's spent doing it have made the scary parts relatively ordinary. "It doesn't matter for us if it's 30 feet or 300 feet or if we're going up or down," she said. The dangerous aspect of the job comes from the moments when things are a little too comfortable, as he said complacency is "one of the most dangerous parts" of his job. "I wasn't thinking of what I was going to have for dinner," he said. Visit youtube.com/srpconnect to watch a short video from the replacement project. Contact writer: (480) 898-5647 or [email protected] ___ (c)2013 East Valley Tribune (Mesa, Ariz.) Visit East Valley Tribune (Mesa, Ariz.) at www.eastvalleytribune.com Distributed by MCT Information Services [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]