Thornton v. Alaska Workmen's Compensation Board

DIMOND, Justice.

Appellant’s husband, Gordon Thornton, was employed as a painter by appellee, Brown & Root, Inc. In the course of such employment he climbed a tower approximately 170 feet high and then used a guy line to pull a 100 pound block and tackle about 160 feet up the tower. At this point Thornton died of a heart attack which was diagnosed by Dr. Kennard, who performed an autopsy, as “multiple coronary artery occlusions with extensive destruction and damage to the heart muscle (infarction) .”

The Alaska Workmen’s Compensation Board denied appellant’s claim for compensation on account of…