BOY SEVERELY INJURED

Press, Volume XCII, Issue 27839, 12 December 1955, Page 12

BOY SEVERELY INJURED

TOUCHED. 60,000-VOLT POWER LINE A 12-year-old boy was severely injured when he climbed a power pylon at Upper Riccarton on Saturday morning to watch a helicopter, made contact with a 66,000-volt line, and was thrown about 30 feet to the ground. He is Warwick Ellis, of 64 Epsom road, Upper Riccarton. He was admitted to Burwood Hospital where his general condition was gi,ven last evening as satisfactory though he is suffering from fairly extensive burns. The boy apparently lay unconscious on the ground at the foot of the pylon’ for some time and then managed to stagger to his home about 50 yards away* A doctor, Mr J. R. Dawson, was immediately summoned and he gave what treatment he could before the boy was rushed by St. John ambulance to the Burwood Hospital’s plastic unit. It was not until the news of the accident spread on Saturday afternoon that the officers of the State Hydroelectric Department were able to solve a problem that had worried them all morning. The mystery started when one of the two main lines supplying power to Christchurch cut out between the Islington and Addington sub-stations at 9.58 a.m. The power supply was maintained through the other line, while the first line was patrolled. No cause could be found for the line cutting out, though an intensive search was made. With the cause of the trouble still unknown, the line was restored before midday. It has not been established whether the boy actually touched the line or got close enough to create an arc. Though no-one witnessed the accident, departmental officials are of the opinion that the latter was the case. The boy suffered from serious burns, his clothes were charred and he suffered additional injuries in the fall. At first,. he was quite incoherent and did not remember climbing the pylon. Later he recovered slightly and was able to talk, but he was still obviously greatly shocked.