The boy came too close to a high-voltage power line, and the electric shock put his life in acute danger. Police officers resuscitated the casualty, they had to use a defibrillator several times, police spokesman Philipp Hasslinger reported.
Around 10:45 p.m., three young people climbed over a fence onto the ÖBB site in Donaustadt. They entered the platform area, where the 16-year-old was the first to get onto the tanker wagon. He suffered serious injuries from the electric shock from the high-voltage line above. “He had no signs of life,” the spokesman said. “The alarmed police officers went to the platform area and immediately began resuscitation measures.”
After the officials had used the defibrillator several times, the boy showed vital signs again. The Vienna professional rescue service took over the emergency medical first aid. The professional fire brigade cut open part of the station fence in order to be able to transport the young person from the track area in a rescue tub.
“The 16-year-old was taken to a hospital in acute danger of death,” said Hasslinger. “His relatives are being cared for by a crisis intervention team.” The traffic accident command has taken over the investigation into the course of the accident.
ÖBB and the police warned against climbing tours on trains, which happen again and again: Even when no train is running, the overhead lines have a voltage of 15,000 volts, which is 65 times more than in a socket. You do not have to touch the wires or parts through which the current is flowing to receive a highly dangerous electric shock. If the distance falls below a certain level, there is a risk of a voltage flashover, which is very often fatal. Younger people in particular would often put their lives in danger out of ignorance and carelessness – keyword “tests of courage” – or risk serious injuries.
For example, a 15-year-old died on December 30, 2003 at the Vienna-North freight station from an electric shock after the girl had climbed onto a parked silo wagon – in front of a friend and two 17-year-old boys. And it was only at the beginning of September this year that a 19-year-old died in Schärding after climbing onto a railcar.
Source: Nachrichten
