While playing with some children in the back yard, they decided it would be fun to throw Mardi Gras beads around the yard to one another. Well as luck might have it, the beads ended up getting wrapped around one of the power lines which was only 15 feet or so above the ground in the back yard.

Having made several attempts at trying to hit the beads by throwing sticks, footballs, and other various and sundry items to free them from the line, the beads almost began to mock the kid on the ground. Thinking that aluminum would not conduct electricity, he figured he could hit the section of beads dangling below the line, flip them upward, and thereby cause them to fall to the ground.

A pool nearby provided the aluminum pole for this particular project, so he took it and placed himself below the power line. Well the pole either hit the line or the line made an arc to the conductor (our fine friend) on the ground sending him 6400 or 7200 volts which subsequently knocked him to the ground causing 2nd and 3rd degree burns where the electricity entered his hands and where it exited his feet crossing through his heart. He saw the flash, heard the shock, smelled the flesh, and felt the burning and pain. Maybe he even tasted it.

After a flight with AirMed to the Joseph M. Still Burn Center at Doctor's Hospital in Augusta, GA, tests revealed that, aside from the burns, which would later require grafts, there was minimal damage to this individual (aside from the embarassment and endless jokes about careless stupidity). After a month or so of recovery and therapy (physical, not mental) he returned to his home and job.

Can you say it is lack of common sense since he works as an EMT? Not really since the last words that came out of his mouth before this moment of illumination were, "This is pretty stupid....standing next to a power line with a pole in my hands." Oh yeah, the beads stayed on the line.

Submitted on 12/08/2008

Submitted by: Anonymous
Reference: March 6, 2008

Copyright © 2008 DarwinAwards.com

Candi said:
Definitely Keep: Personal Account
You know, I thought EMT's were taught about arc electricity in the case of downed powerlines and such (which require clearing by professionals before EMTs can do their work). What was he thinking?! Thanks, and submit again!

Bruce said:
Definitely Keep: Personal Account
It boggles the mind that somebody who successfully trained to be an EMT can be so ignorant as to think that an aluminum pole wouldn't conduct electricity! Thanks.

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