FATAL ELECTRIC SHOCK

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIII, Issue 227, 7 September 1933, Page 10

FATAL ELECTRIC SHOCK

SUB-STATION ATTENDANT KILLED EVIDENCE AT INQUEST INVERCARGILL, Sept. 6. The inquest touching the death of Stanhope Sherwell Smart, a sub-station attendant in the employ of the Southland Electric Power Board, who died in hospital on Sunday following an electric shock, was held this afternoon before Mr E. C. Levvey, S.M., Coroner. Donald McKenzie Scandrett, a faultman, employed by the Power Board, deposed that on Sunday morning he was on duty at the Herbert street nubstation. The deceased was also working at the sub-station that morning. At about 9.30 a.m. the power was cut off at the station, only the power tor the Invercargill trams being left on. At about 10 a.m. witness and the deceased were engaged cleaning out a bird’s nest from the choke coils. At the time of the accident the deceased was working on an 11,000-volts “bus bar” about 12 feet above the ground. The attention of witness was attracted to the deceased by the roar of the power. He turned round to see the deceased swinging on the 11,000volt “bus bar.” Witness was going towards him, but before he reached him the deceased fell to the ground. Witness thought that Smart was dead. He applied artificial respiration and then rang for a doctor. Before the doctor arrived the deceased became conscious. He complained of pains in his stomach but said nothing about the accident. Witness could not explain how the deceased came in contact with a live wire, as his back was turned. Deceased was a very careful man, taking no risks with electricity. The Coroner returned a verdict that death was due to heart failure following extreme shock accidentally sustained by the deceased in the course of hi® employment.