Two a penny

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Taranaki farmer electrocuted

By MATT RILKOFF – Saturday, 01 November 2008

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Family members comfort each other after the tragedy.

A Tarata farmer has been electrocuted and another man narrowly escaped the same fate in a tragic back-country accident yesterday afternoon.
It appears the dead man was running an electric fence line up a hill on his farm when the line came into contact with overhead powerlines.
Details of what happened at the Motukawa Rd farm to the east of Inglewood are still unclear.
The understands it was thought at first that he had suffered a heart attack so the dangerous nature of the accident scene was not realised.
An Inglewood doctor was called to the scene but was unable to revive the man, who is understood to be 43-44 years old and to have three school age children.
Senior Constable Alistair Balsom, of Inglewood, said the doctor used a polar fleece jacket and flicked the live wire away.
While the doctor was still in attendance to the dead man, an acquaintance of the victim took it upon himself to connect the fence and received an electric shock. If it wasn't for him the second guy would be dead," he said.
"Thank God for Dr Finnigan.
The Taranaki Rescue helicopter received notice of the first incident at about 3.
Last night the second man was in a comfortable condition at Taranaki Base Hospital. Just before landing at the accident site they were informed the man was dead.45pm and took off to attend the scene at 4pm.35pm.
The rescue crew talked briefly with medical personnel already there before flying back to base, arriving at 4.
When they arrived eight minutes later, the man was conscious and able to talk.
Just 25 minutes later they received another call that a second man had been shocked at the same location and they returned to the scene.
"It seemed he was running out an electric fence and we are unsure of what specifically happened but the man received an electric shock. . Soon after another man thought he would do the right thing, picked up the fence to connect it and did exactly the same thing. He collapsed and he couldn't be revived.
The body of the deceased man was removed from the scene by police at approximately 7."
He said the first call police received of the accident was from medical personnel and for a time they thought two people had been killed. A number of visibly upset family members and friends were at the location. A number of visibly upset family members and friends were at the location.
A spokesperson for the Department of Labour said they would be unable to comment on the accident until their investigation was complete.

The man's identity will not be released until family members overseas have been informed.

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Song of praise from theft-hit Wellington choir

By STACEY WOOD Saturday, 25 October 2008

TheKotuku Choir is singing the praises of strangers, after an outpouring of generosity from readers moved by the theft of the choir's uniforms.
Choir director Sharon Thorburn has been inundated with calls from people offering money, time and expertise after reading about the theft of 20 uniforms from her car in Karori.
"I'm absolutely overjoyed.
With $5000 pledged in just three hours, Ms Thorburn said she barely had time to breathe between answering the phone." The money was much needed, but she was also moved by the many offers of personal help. Our biggest disaster has turned into our biggest blessing.
"They're not only giving money, they're teaching us that although we seem to be surrounded by violence and abuse in the world, that's not really the case. . The choir has a waiting list."
The pledged money will be enough to replace the stolen uniforms, as well as buy material for more uniforms in the future.
"No matter where the kids are from or what they had done in the past, those uniforms made them all the same.
The choir members came from all kinds of backgrounds, from former youth-gang leaders to children of diplomats and bankers."
They were devastated by the theft of the uniforms, but Ms Thorburn was now examining forward to giving the choir the good news.