BY: ANGELICA ARQUERO
A 38-year-old man died in Sigay, Ilocos Sur after he was electrocuted while fixing a faulty WiFi router on Sunday night, May 25.
According to police, the incident happened in Barangay San Elias around 7 PM.
The victim, who was barefoot and had a wet body due to the rain, was helping a relative fix their “piso-net” WiFi unit when he accidentally touched an exposed wire.
“He was called by a neighbor, who is also a relative, to fix their broken WiFi unit,” said Police Lieutenant Eusebio Tindoc, officer-in-charge of the Sigay Municipal Police Station. “But since it was raining, his body was wet, and he was barefoot. He made contact with a live wire and got electrocuted.”
Witnesses quickly turned off the breaker and rushed the victim to a nearby hospital, but he was declared dead on arrival.
“He apparently suffered cardiac arrest due to electrocution,” Tindoc explained. “Maybe it was just a coincidence, he was wet, and he might’ve touched a defective wire.”
The police reminded the public to take precautions when dealing with electrical problems.
“Make sure you have proper training and knowledge before handling electrical wires,” Tindoc advised. “And never touch them if your body is wet. Always turn off the switch or breaker before doing any repair.”
This is the first reported fatal electrocution case in the town this year.
