The boy is "tremendously lucky" following the traumatic incidents, Suffolk Battalion Chief/Fire Marshall Chris Cornwell said
NEED TO KNOW
- A 15-year-old boy climbed a 60-foot-high, high-tension powerline pole in Suffolk, Va., on May 1
- He then came in contact with the energized electrical line, causing the pole to fall and start a brush fire
- As a result, the teen was then electrocuted, and he fell, landing in the burning grass
A 15-year-old boy is lucky to be alive after a traumatic fall in Suffolk, Va., on Friday, May 1.
The teenager was discovered after Suffolk Fire & Rescue responded to a report of smoke near Delaware Avenue at 5:15 p.m. on Friday, according to a news release from Suffolk Fire & Rescue. Upon the first responders' arrival, smoke was found coming from a wooded area.
When they approached the fire, crews found the teen, who had been significantly injured and burned. He was pulled out and taken to a local trauma center for treatment. Nearby train tracks were briefly shut down, Suffolk Fire & Rescue said. The incident is still under investigation.
Suffolk Battalion Chief/Fire Marshal Chris Cornwell said on Monday, May 4, that the boy could have died, noting that he "climbed the high-tension power lines there, the high-transmission power line," WAVY reported.
Though he suffered injuries, he is now in stable condition.
“He is really lucky to be alive, to have been electrocuted and then to fall that distance,” Cornwell told WAVY, later reiterating that the teen is "tremendously lucky."
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PEOPLE reached out to Suffolk Fire & Rescue for comment.
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