Surviving 125k voltage through the body
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I have been shocked several times touching wires in an electrical socket or light switch. It scares you more than it hurts. But I think overhead power lines are a whole different story. A guy from my hometown got electrocuted as a kid on power lines. It burnt off one ear and scarred his face, but he lived. He's now about 70.
People that sustain electric shock have been known to develop depression and other mental illness down the road. Please make your loved ones aware and have them watch you for any personality changes.
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Also many people don’t know that there is a difference between electrical shock and electrocution.
If you live, you sustained an electrical shock. Electrocution is death by electrical shock.
That many volts, it doesn't matter what you're wearing, it's finding it's way to the ground. That's the hole in your foot. Lucky SOB.
If you were a cat you probably used up 8 of you lives. Glad you’re here to talk about it. You are one lucky son of a gun!!
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What an amazing story and so glad you are okay. I don't have anything very serious to compare to that. My only experience was my two older brothers telling me to pee on an electric fence while out pheasant hunting. They thought that was pretty hysterical.
125kV? That seems really high to be that close to a pole barn. I'm amazed you weren't getting shocked prior to coming in contact with the wire.
We've got a section bridge that were building that's 70' below a ~130kV powerline and we have to ground everything (rebar, safety lines, metal forms, metal deck pans, etc) as there is enough stray current in the air to keep nuisance shocking our crews. Surveyors had to shoot everything manually because the excess current and electromagnetic fields keep the robot from locking on.
That said, you got really lucky. Electricity is something that I don't like to mess with.
We've got a section bridge that were building that's 70' below a ~130kV powerline and we have to ground everything (rebar, safety lines, metal forms, metal deck pans, etc) as there is enough stray current in the air to keep nuisance shocking our crews. Surveyors had to shoot everything manually because the excess current and electromagnetic fields keep the robot from locking on.
That said, you got really lucky. Electricity is something that I don't like to mess with.
Wow, so glad you're OK.
Used to work in the industry and my good friend was a dispatcher. Several years ago we had a lineman who was supposed to wait for another to arrive before starting a repair, but he climbed the pole and started working himself. He took a bad jolt and was hanging upside down almost paralyzed but he managed to reach his cell phone and call dispatch. My friend kept him calm until help arrived. He lost some fingers and, unfortunately, also lost his job for violating safety protocols.
Used to work in the industry and my good friend was a dispatcher. Several years ago we had a lineman who was supposed to wait for another to arrive before starting a repair, but he climbed the pole and started working himself. He took a bad jolt and was hanging upside down almost paralyzed but he managed to reach his cell phone and call dispatch. My friend kept him calm until help arrived. He lost some fingers and, unfortunately, also lost his job for violating safety protocols.
I always used to think this too, but...
Dictionary.com:
noun
- the injury or killing of someone by electric shock.
"they switched off the power supply to avoid any risk of electrocution"
Definition of electrocute
transitive verb
1: to kill or severely injure by electric shock
Oxford:
mass noun
- The injury or killing of someone by electric shock.
Maybe it is another one of those words that has changed since so many people have used it wrong for so long.
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The town I live in is unincorporated. I purchased the alleyway next to my land from the county years ago. The utility poles were already there when I started building. Alliant energy is in the process of burying the lines.
As far as the voltage... Just going on what the linemen said. You can assign any value you want, really does not matter, it's death voltage. There is a red line on the backside of my head, but I doubt I came in direct contact. When you let go of the buttons on the lift it will coast a few inches. The sound I heard inside my head was awful.
I knew a man who when he was a teenager many many years ago got a nasty electrical shock . I dont remember the exact details of how it happened, but he lost his right arm below the elbow. I guess his feet were pretty messed up too but I never saw him without shoes on.
He survived that, but cancer took him about a year ago.
Also, when I worked at the West Hy Vee in Ames. During the remodel, a worker cut through the power supply to the entire store. He did this intentionally thinking it was a water line. Walked away without a scratch. Store was with about 50% power from the backup generator for most of that day.
He survived that, but cancer took him about a year ago.
Also, when I worked at the West Hy Vee in Ames. During the remodel, a worker cut through the power supply to the entire store. He did this intentionally thinking it was a water line. Walked away without a scratch. Store was with about 50% power from the backup generator for most of that day.
If it's in town distribution, I would guess it would be 12.5 kV. 125 kV would likely be large multi-pole transmission lines with significant offsets required.
I was an Electrician's Mate in the Navy. There was a guy working on an electric panel and the ship took a roll and he fell into it. The guy that was with him kicked him away from it, actually breaking two of his ribs. He had a crappy tattoo on his arm that got blown off by the current, but he lived.
I had a friend go something similar about 20 years ago, he was working construction but basically did the same thing you did. He ended up falling 3 stories as well. He was initially reported dead but survived. He had insane burns through his hands, feet and sides. He underwent innovative surgeries ,they would fly people in from all over the world to witness them. It reminded me of the Seinfeld bit about Dr's basically saying "Oh they are going to try this, I have to see it". He made a decent recovery but never got to 100%, he died a couple years later from heart complications related to the accident.
I gotta ask the question..... Did you lose all bodily functions? Pee/crap your pants? I know someone mentioned about smoke coming out.
