On Tuesday, June 8, authorities were called to the scene of a severely injured man, after he had fallen from an electricity pole at the electricity station in Ocean View.
According to video material of the incident viewed by Kouga Express, the man was severely electrocuted before catching fire and falling to the ground.
The man was taken to hospital by local authorities, but passed away later that day.
Upon inquiry, police spokesperson, Sergeant Majola Nkholi, made the following statement: “Police can confirm that on Tuesday, June 8, a case of damage to the essential infrastructure was opened for further investigation.
“It is alleged that at about 11:00, an unknown man was tampering with a power station in Ocean View (Jeffreys Bay), when he was electrocuted and later died in hospital. An inquest docket will be opened to determine the cause of death.”
Kouga Mayor, Horatio Hendricks, stated the following on the matter when asked to comment:
“The relocation of the Ocean View Substation – at a cost of R3 million, is nearing completion.
“This will benefit residents from Pellsrus, Ocean View, Tokyo Sexwale and the new part of Ocean View (an additional 325 household).
“It will also indirectly benefit residents of Marina Martinique, Aston Bay and Paradise Beach as they will have fewer power failures due to illegal connections.”
Hendricks said that, too often, innocent people lost their lives due to illegal connections.
“The saddest and most concerning part is that it is often children who are electrocuted when they unknowingly touch carelessly laid cables left by those who steal electricity.
“Illegal connections are usually done by unqualified people who not only risk electrocuting themselves, but also expose other people to danger and the risk of injury and death if they make contact with the connection.”
Hendricks believes that this puts the whole community at risk because the connections often lie across pathways and walkways where anyone passing by can easily be electrocuted.
An additional risk is that illegally connected wires can also make contact with other items such as roofs, gutters and washing lines, making these items live and able to conduct electricity, causing fires.
