In what sounds like an episode of 1,000 Ways To Die, an American tourist is dead in Thailand. He accidentally electrocuted himself in what can only be described as a freak accident.
The American tourist from New York was visiting his long-distance girlfriend in the country. The two were headed to a Phuket restaurant together. That's when he slipped on the sidewalk. He reached out to grab a streetlight to steady himself when he received a lethal dose of electricity. The streetlight was electrified, killing the man.
Bystanders rushed to his aid and administered CPR, but the American tourist was dead. Authorities determined that an exposed wire inside the streetlight was touching the wet metal of the casing. This basically turned it into a kill switch. Doctors later pronounced him dead at Thalang Hospital.
American Tourist Dies
A friend of the victim's girlfriend said he had flown to Thailand to see his girlfriend. She said, "I was eating dinner at the restaurant when they arrived. His girlfriend was walking ahead, and he slipped on the wet ground while following her."
A local tried to help him but shocked himself. He explained, "I saw that the man had fallen, but his leg was still touching the pole. I tried to touch him but I was zapped myself. I managed to remove his leg from the streetlight before calling an ambulance."
Authorities determined the pole was carrying a current of 220 volts. Thailand is known for its issues with infrastructure and mechanical issues. Previously, an American influencer ended up in the hospital after getting electrocuted by power lines in the country. She spent 1o days in the hospital fighting for her life.
Officials from the Provincial Electricity Authority investigated the scene and found that the pole was carrying 220 volts of electricity. She wrote, "In the blink of an eye it could all be taken away. Lucky to be here, 2024."
Meanwhile, a schoolgirl got electrocuted by her phone charger last February after touching an exposed wire at her home. Incidents like these show that while Thailand is progressing as a country, there are improvements to be made to its infrastructure.
