Update: Illegal connection causes man’s death

A RAMSGATE man, Louis van Wyk (58), died in the arms of his wife, Caron, after he stepped on a live electric wire hidden in the grass on the side of the N2 toll road’s southbound Seaslopes off-ramp.

Police spokesman Captain Gerald Mfeka has confirmed that the live electric wire was part of an illegal electricity connection. Police were investigating the matter. If the culprit responsible for setting up the connection was apprehended he or she would face prosecution, he said.

According to Mrs van Wyk she and her husband and their nephew, Jamey Bailey, had arranged to meet a friend at the Seaslopes off-ramp on Saturday last weekend. They turned off the freeway and parked their vehicle on the shoulder of the road. Mr van Wyk stepped a few paces off the road and was suddenly thrown to the ground. Alerted by his groans, Mrs van Wyk ran to help him, screaming for Mr Bailey to assist her.

Without knowing what had caused Mr van Wyk to collapse, Mrs van Wyk put her own life in danger by rushing to his aid but Mr Bailey, realising the problem, grabbed a canvas bag and was able to pull Mr van Wyk away from the wire. He started cardiopulmonary resuscitation on the electrocuted man but was unsuccessful.

In the meantime Mrs van Wyk was trying desperately to summon help and eventually reached her family doctor, who arrived soon after he’d been telephoned. He’d also contacted an ambulance service and paramedics arrived after he had reached the scene. However, the  electrocution victim was beyond all help.

Although there are rumours that other people had been electrocuted at that spot and that the live wire had been brought to the notice of the authorities earlier, these are unconfirmed. Captain Mfeka said Mr van Wyk had been the only electrocution victim who had died at that exact spot.

However, illegal electricity connections in the nearby Masinenge informal settlement were an ongoing problem. Margate police were often called upon to accompany Eskom officials investigating illegal connection complaints, he said.

He was unaware of any other fatality caused by illegal use of electricity in the vicinity of Masinenge but said a young Masinenge man had recently escaped death after stepping on a live wire while playing soccer with his friends.

At the time of going to press, police had still not confirmed whether the electric wire that had caused the fatality had been disconnected, but the area where Mr van Wyk died has been cordoned off. There will be an inquest into his death.