An alleged cable thief was in for the shock of his life after he was said to have tried to steal cables from a substation in Chris De Villiers Street in Ermelo on 5 September. The man survived the incident, but is said to have sustained burn wounds to his arms, torso and his nether regions. He was admitted to the Ermelo Provincial Hospital. Mr Christo Botha, a paramedic from EMS, said earlier this year a similar incident occurred and they were tasked with treating the patient. The Highvelder asked him what the typical injuries are in cases of electrical shock.

According to him, the electric current that passes through the body can cause cardiac arrest due to the electrical effect on the heart and also cause muscle, nerve, and tissue destruction. “Thermal burns from contact with the electrical source is possible, as well as injuries related to falling after contact with the source. “In some cases, damage to the kidneys are also prevalent.” Mr Mandla Zwane, the spokesman for the Msukaligwa Municipality, said they carry knowledge of the incident.

“Cable theft is one of the reasons for delays in restoring power after load reductions.” He was asked whether a case would be brought against the alleged cable thief. “The municipality opened a case of cable theft a few weeks ago, we trust that, as and when there’s cable theft the police will include such on their docket.” He said It is not clear at this stage whether there’s power in the area where the incident occurred. “Because the area is an industrial area and they are currently closed, we will only know tomorrow.” Read the complete article in the Highvelder.