Man Electrocuted After Fishing Rod Snags High-Voltage Power Line

[Georgealbert]

 

 

A 65-year-old man was electrocuted while fishing after his fishing rod inadvertently snagged a high-voltage power line on a bridge over a reservoir in Nakhon Phanom province. 

 

The incident occurred when Mr. Luechai, a resident of Nong Yat subdistrict in Mueang district, was fishing near the Nong Yat Reservoir, behind the freshwater aquarium museum. Unaware of the danger, he cast his line beneath three exposed high-voltage wires, situated approximately five metres above the ground.

 

 

Unfortunately, his fishing line, which had a lead weight attached, came into contact with the power line, creating an electrical short circuit. The combination of the lead weight attaching to the power line and his aluminium fishing rod touching, allowed the current to travel through the rod, electrocuting him instantly.

 

Passersby later discovered Mr. Luechai’s lifeless body and notified authorities. Police Lieutenant Chom Churat, Deputy Inspector at Mueang Nakhon Phanom Police Station, along with a medical examiner from Nakhon Phanom Hospital and forensic officers, arrived to investigate. The victim was found clutching the remains of his aluminum fishing rod, which had been burnt and broken by the electrical shock. Severe burns were visible on his feet and abdomen, consistent with electrocution. A motorcycle, fishing bucket, and bait were found nearby, while the fishing line and weight were still tangled in the high-voltage wires above the scene.

 

According to the victim’s relatives, Mr. Luechai, a single man who worked as a farmer, was an avid fisherman who frequently fished in the area. They believe he was unaware of the danger posed by the power lines. 

 

Local authorities have coordinated with the Provincial Electricity Authority to investigate the cause of the incident further and will implement preventive measures, including installing warning signs to avoid future accidents.

 

Picture from responders.

 

-- 2024-10-01

 

[steven100]

5 minutes ago, Georgealbert said:

Unfortunately, his fishing line, which had a lead weight attached, came into contact with the power line, creating an electrical short circuit. The combination of the lead weight and his aluminium fishing rod allowed the current to travel through the rod, electrocuting him instantly.

 

 

Oh dear Georgealbert,  this is very sad news for the poor fisherman.  I like fishing,  but you should never fish near overhead powerlines. 

 

But Georgealbert,  I don't believe he was electrocuted by the lead weight ( sinker )  ....   he was only electrocuted by his aluminium rod touching the wires which were approximately 5m above.

 

Fishing line cannot carry current,  so he must have touched the wires with his fishing rod,  and it's got nothing to do with the lead weight he used ( sinker ) as it is normally quite small in length. 

 

 

[smedly]

not sure about this, going by science this is BS

[Upnotover]

26 minutes ago, smedly said:

not sure about this, going by science this is BS

Fishing line got tangled, used aluminium rod to try and disentangle it.  Seems clear enough.

[Rampant Rabbit]

The  BIGGEST problem I see  here with this is their overhead  cables in rural areas (which aint that) high are UNSHEATHED, on my road they are even taped together where they got broken these are not 230v but the much higher voltage before they drop down via transformer, the lower 230v lines  are sheathed. Theyre ridiculously close to ground level for such high voltage and they regularly  have to cut tree  branches on those high voltage ones down to stop short circuits.

[NE1]

I remember watching a villager tie a line to a coat hanger , throw it over some I electric cables while the line was in the water and stun some fish in a pond.

I am not an electrical person so I am not sure how he got coat hanger off the cables and the line out of the water.

[Chassa]

Fishing line got tangled, used aluminium rod to try and disentangle it.  Seems clear enough.

 

 

Must have had a 5 meter rod!

[Liverpool Lou]

6 hours ago, steven100 said:

Fishing line cannot carry current,  so he must have touched the wires with his fishing rod,  and it's got nothing to do with the lead weight he used ( sinker ) as it is normally quite small in length. 

A wet fishing line tangled around the wires connected to the aluminium rod in his hands could.   

[steven100]

18 minutes ago, Chassa said:

Fishing line got tangled, used aluminium rod to try and disentangle it.  Seems clear enough.

 

 

Must have had a 5 meter rod!

 

did you read this :  

 

The victim was found clutching the remains of his aluminum fishing rod, which had been burnt and broken by the electrical shock. 

 

 

[giddyup]

7 hours ago, steven100 said:

 

Oh dear Georgealbert,  this is very sad news for the poor fisherman.  I like fishing,  but you should never fish near overhead powerlines. 

 

But Georgealbert,  I don't believe he was electrocuted by the lead weight ( sinker )  ....   he was only electrocuted by his aluminium rod touching the wires which were approximately 5m above.

 

Fishing line cannot carry current,  so he must have touched the wires with his fishing rod,  and it's got nothing to do with the lead weight he used ( sinker ) as it is normally quite small in length. 

 

 

Unlikely his rod was 5 metres long so how else did the current reach him except down the fishing line?

Edited October 1 by giddyup

[lordgrinz]

Well, he won't do that again.

[billd766]

7 hours ago, steven100 said:

 

Oh dear Georgealbert,  this is very sad news for the poor fisherman.  I like fishing,  but you should never fish near overhead powerlines. 

 

But Georgealbert,  I don't believe he was electrocuted by the lead weight ( sinker )  ....   he was only electrocuted by his aluminium rod touching the wires which were approximately 5m above.

 

Fishing line cannot carry current,  so he must have touched the wires with his fishing rod,  and it's got nothing to do with the lead weight he used ( sinker ) as it is normally quite small in length. 

 

 

I agree and I always thought that the fishing line was nylon and an insulator. I also though that fishing rods were fibreglass and an insulator.

 

It seems that I was wrong on both counts.

Edited October 1 by billd766

[steven100]

9 minutes ago, billd766 said:

I agree and I always thought that the fishing line was nylon and an insulator. I also though that fishing rods were fibreglass and an insulator.

 

It seems that I was wrong on both counts.

I agree what you say ...  the story does not clarify what exactly happened,  it's anybody's guess ... 

[Photoguy21]

19 minutes ago, giddyup said:

Unlikely his rod was 5 metres long so how else did the current reach him except down the fishing line?

So presumably the nylon fishing line was wet.

[steven100]

20 minutes ago, giddyup said:

Unlikely his rod was 5 metres long so how else did the current reach him except down the fishing line?

well, if he didn't touch the wires with a metalic object then it can only be from water running down the fishing line to his hand ...  

[BarraMarra]

Shocking

[steven100]

2 minutes ago, Photoguy21 said:

So presumably the nylon fishing line was wet.

well,  that seems the only way,  and one would think that would dry quickly being up out in the air ... and most fishing line is nylon... clear or some brands are green color.

[steven100]

16 minutes ago, billd766 said:

I agree and I always thought that the fishing line was nylon and an insulator. I also though that fishing rods were fibreglass and an insulator.

 

It seems that I was wrong on both counts.

The victim was found clutching the remains of his aluminum fishing rod, which had been burnt and broken by the electrical shock. 

[Photoguy21]

1 minute ago, steven100 said:

well,  that seems the only way,  and one would think that would dry quickly being up out in the air ... and most fishing line is nylon... clear or some brands are green color.

Exactly. Nylon doesnt conduct electricity so it would have to have been wet

[NoDisplayName]

35 minutes ago, steven100 said:

well, if he didn't touch the wires with a metalic object then it can only be from water running down the fishing line to his hand ...  

 

It's quite simple, really.

 

The wires were 5M up from the ground/water. The bridge deck from which the man was fishing was probably at 5.5M, putting the wires just below the level of traffic/pedestrian walk.......likely attached directly to the bridge.  Shirley, you've seen electrical cables mounted to the sides of bridges!

 

65-year-old man fishin' for dinner won't be using a fancy nylon pole with a Shimano reel.  He's using whatever scrap he can find to tie a string to, in this case probably a meter-long piece of aluminum tubing he found in a junk pile.  Old man isn't casting out into the surf, he's dropping a line into the water below.

 

He's holding the aluminum rod just above the exposed wires, maybe even threaded in between two of them.  In a moment of inattention the weight of the sinker (or a fish) pulled the rod down to contact the wires.

 

 

Edited October 1 by NoDisplayName

[NoDisplayName]

6 hours ago, NE1 said:

I am not an electrical person so I am not sure how he got coat hanger off the cables and the line out of the water.

 

Why would you assume he cleaned up his mess?

He collected the dead fish and left.

 

Don't tink so mut!

[steven100]

46 minutes ago, NoDisplayName said:

 

It's quite simple, really.

 

The wires were 5M up from the ground/water. The bridge deck from which the man was fishing was probably at 5.5M, putting the wires just below the level of traffic/pedestrian walk.......likely attached directly to the bridge.  Shirley, you've seen electrical cables mounted to the sides of bridges!

 

65-year-old man fishin' for dinner won't be using a fancy nylon pole with a Shimano reel.  He's using whatever scrap he can find to tie a string to, in this case probably a meter-long piece of aluminum tubing he found in a junk pile.  Old man isn't casting out into the surf, he's dropping a line into the water below.

 

He's holding the aluminum rod just above the exposed wires, maybe even threaded in between two of them.  In a moment of inattention the weight of the sinker (or a fish) pulled the rod down to contact the wires.

 

 

 

We need you as the editor on the news team. 

[NoDisplayName]

10 minutes ago, steven100 said:

 

We need you as the editor on the news team. 

 

Egads, man!

How dare you!

Even I have standards.

[PETERTHEEATER]

1 hour ago, giddyup said:

Unlikely his rod was 5 metres long so how else did the current reach him except down the fishing line?

Must have been a homemade rod. Aluminium tubing  is not flexible enough to be an effective fishing rod except for small fish. A dipping rod not a casting rod perhaps.

[Upnotover]

2 hours ago, Chassa said:

Fishing line got tangled, used aluminium rod to try and disentangle it.  Seems clear enough.

 

 

Must have had a 5 meter rod!

Perhaps he was standing upright and holding it about his head, in which case a 3m rod would not be unusual.

[hotchilli]

7 hours ago, NE1 said:

I remember watching a villager tie a line to a coat hanger , throw it over some I electric cables while the line was in the water and stun some fish in a pond.

I am not an electrical person so I am not sure how he got coat hanger off the cables and the line out of the water.

Fishing line will not conduct electricity... 

[NE1]

6 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Fishing line will not conduct electricity... 

I didn't say fishing line , I just saw a line 

 

[NE1]

Not confused if you read the post.

[xtrnuno41]

As far as I know there are no alu rods.

Materials are glass fiber or graphite, maybe the paint is holding metal in it, possible.

Saying that, I checked, as you never know, but didnt find it any.

Normally fish line is plastic, nylon, so no guiding of current, unless the line is wet.  

It would be my guess, his gear was all wet.

And he didnt made a shortcut, but just a connection, power live to ground and himself in between.

RIP, Mr. Luechai