Boy saves dad from electrocution
2011-01-31 10:22
Pretoria - A Pretoria father has told how his 11-year-old son saved him from certain death on Saturday.
"I am very proud of him. He is my little hero," said André van Loggerenberg, 44, after his son prevented him from being shocked to death.
Van Loggerenberg was busy mowing the lawn at home in Meyerton at about 12:00 on Saturday and Tiaan, a Grade 6 pupil at Dr Verwoerd Primary School, was gathering grass and throwing it into a bag.
"The lawnmower suddenly started giving off sparks and there were flames. I immediately assumed our power had tripped," said Van Loggerenberg.
Repair
He decided it was safe to repair the lawnmower so he could mow the rest of the lawn.
"I sat on a steel garden chair while I opened a power plug, which was still connected to the house's power supply.
"It shocked my left hand and I threw away the wire before I fell over backwards with the chair and all," said Van Loggerenberg.
The wire then fell on his stomach.
He was only able to say the word "Tiaan" before his body was repeatedly shocked and he started convulsing.
Tiaan, whose back was turned to his father while he was picking up grass, turned around and immediately burst into tears, as his first reaction was that his father had already been shocked to death.
Collapsed
"I realised moments later that he couldn't be dead yet as his arms and legs were still twitching. I ran to him and forcefully pulled the lawnmower cord," said Tiaan.
Van Loggerenberg said he couldn't say a single thing after his son saved his life. He could only get up from the chair and collapse on the grass.
Tiaan called his mother, Gerda, 44, and older sister, Marlizaan, 12, in the house.
Tiaan couldn't speak either, but they followed him outside where Van Loggerenberg was lying.
Father and son were each given a glass of sugar water for shock. Van Loggerenberg was not taken to hospital.
"I am very happy that my father didn't die," said Tiaan as he gave his father a tight hug on Sunday during a family outing to Sandton City shopping centre.
