Never go near a downed power line!
A 6-year-old boy and his grandmother were severely shocked and burned by a downed power line in a campground…
Everyone
NEVER walk anywhere near a power line laying on the ground. There can be enough step voltage on the ground to shock and kill you from a dozen yards away, or even further in wet conditions.
And if you see a power line on the road while driving DO NOT drive over it or get out of your car. You should call 911 immediately and give the operator your location while staying far away from the power line, even if it appears to be dead.
Read about this heartbreaking incident at a campground near Houston last week. - Mike Sokol
From CBS Affiliate KHOU
A 6-year-old boy and his grandmother were sent to a Texas intensive care unit after they were severely burned by a downed power line, CBS affiliate KHOU reports. The mother of the boy said her son had burns on almost 20% of his body and that her mother suffered burns on more than half of her body.
Morgan Winters told KHOU the incident happened in an RV park near Lake Conroe, about 50 miles north of Houston. She told the station that her mother, Charlotte Winters, had picked up Morgan's 6-year-old son Nathan Winters from camp on May 28 and took him back to her RV. They went to leave the RV park that evening after they lost power during a storm.
As they were leaving, they saw a downed power line and stepped outside of the vehicle to warn a neighbor, and that's when they were struck by electricity, despite the station reporting they were not near the actual downed line. Both were sent to an intensive care unit in Houston.
What to do if a power line falls on or near your car!
Let’s stay safe out there… Mike
Even “IF,” a NCVT indicated an area was not energized by a downed powerline, I would not go near it. Who knows when the wire on the ground might become energized again? Just get away and stay energized or not!
Mike, you mention that a downed power line can energize the ground up to 35 feet away. Would a Non Contact Voltage Tester be able to detect such an energized area?