SUSPENDED FROM POWER LINE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20451, 4 July 1928, Page 2

SUSPENDED FROM POWER LINE.

YOUTH’S TERRIBLE EXPERIENCERELEASED AFTER 45 MINUTES. (Special to Daily Times.) AUCKLAND, July 3. Roderick Fraser Langsford, a youth, was found lying across a high tension line at the Wesleyan Valley transformer on the Thames Valley Power Board line, near Totara, last evening. He was first discovered by the driver of a service car, Mr Poole, who wisely realising that it would be extremely foolish to endeavour to remove Langsford, set out post haste to the Thames police station in an endeavour to get the power cut off. This was shortly after 5 p.m. A Maori woman said that she heard Langsford moaning and shrieking for at least three-quarters of an hour. Sergeant M'Donncll and Constable Smith went out after giving instructions that the power should be cut off. There was some delay in locating anyone who could do this, and when the party arrived the unfortunate man was still receiving shocks. The sergeant and his helpers rushed to the Kopu Hotel, where there was a ladder which was long enough to reach the place, and brought it back as fast as possible. In the ffieantimc Constable Smith, Mr S. P. Crawford, a neighbouring settler, and Mr L. Griffen, borough electrical engineer, climbed on a platform with the object of rescuing Langsford. “ Leaks ” were flying everywhere, and the rescuers received considerable shocks. At this stage the current was cut off, and Mr W. J. Rogers, of the Power Board staff at Turua, arrived, and, with the assistance of several other people, the youth was lowered to the ground. He was immediately rushed to the Thames Hospital, where, he arrived in an unconscious condition. Restorative measures were applied, and it was found that he had been very severely burned on his right hand, right cheek and ear, and right thigh. Langsford is a native of Auckland, where his people live. He has been employed as a farm hand.