[Updated] A newly-graduated senior high school student from Araceli town died from an electric shock on Thursday while playing basketball, after he made contact with a goal post that got connected to a live wire.
The family of the victim, identified as Jerome Cacatian, 18, said he was playing with his friends at the community court when the accident happened.
“Pag-drive niya po [ng bola], parang nag-foul siya. Pumunta siya doon sa poste ng ring, nagpahinga lang po sana siya. Hindi kasi alam na may kuryente doon kaya siya nakahawak. Paghawak niya sa poste hindi na siya nakaalis doon,” Mark Christian Heredero told Palawan News.
“Tinangka namin na hilahin siya, pero nakukuryente rin po kami,” he added.
It appeared from initial reports that a live electric wire connecting two local government buildings had been attached to the basketball goal post to keep it from sagging. Over time, however, its insulation peeled off and the wire got into direct contact with the post.
The electric wire was reportedly connecting the municipal hall building of Araceli and its agriculture office located separately.
The victim, a resident of Sitio Ongolan, Poblacion, was rushed to the Rural Health Unit (RHU) in Araceli, where he later died.
Witnesses to the accident said they were watching the victim shoot basketball when they suddenly saw him being electrocuted.
“Sinusubukan namin hilahin pero hindi kaya kasi pati kami makukuryente. Mabuti na lang isang kasamahan namin sinipa siya ng malakas bago natanggal sa poste. Mga isang minuto lang po yun. Wala na syang malay nagtulong tulong kami buhatin sya sa RHU,” said Heredero.
P/Maj. Ric Ramos, the PPO’s spokesperson, said the attending physician has not yet released an official medical report on the victim’s cause of death.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Corrections have been made to this story to reflect the fact that Jerome Cacatian was not playing alone when he was electrocuted, but rather with his friends.
