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A man whose arms and face melted after he touched an electrical cable carrying 11,000 volts has expressed his gratitude to the paramedics who saved his life.
Darren Harris, 35, was severely injured while attempting to steal scrap metal from an abandoned building in Wolverhampton on November 24, 2020. Struggling for funds during the lockdown, Harris assumed the power inside the building was switched off, leading to the catastrophic accident.
Mr. Harris suffered horrific burns to his arms, face, chest, and abdomen, with the 11,000-volt switchboard completely melting his forearms down to the bone. He lost his left thumb, both ears, and the tip of his nose and was knocked unconscious by the force of the electricity.
Miraculous Survival and Recovery
Following the accident, Harris spent months receiving specialist treatment at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham. He was in a coma for 27 days and has undergone a total of 23 operations, with further hand surgery pending. Medical experts described his survival as miraculous, given the immense surge of electricity that coursed through his body.
Four years on, Mr. Harris was reunited with paramedics Gary Williams and Matt Walker, along with trauma doctor Richard Fawcett, who responded to the emergency call that day. During their meeting, Harris expressed his deep gratitude for their life-saving efforts.
“During lockdown, I was struggling for funds and I went to get illegal scrap metal from buildings that were getting demolished. Unfortunately, I put my left arm into an 11KV switchboard, which completely melted my forearms down to the bone,” Harris recounted to the BBC.
“I ran in front of the ambulance on its way to me to flag it down, and both faces of the paramedics were as white as a ghost.”
Overcoming Adversity
Despite the severe injuries, Harris has made remarkable progress. He works as a self-employed scaffolder and has managed to return to work, despite initial concerns about his fitness for the job. Harris has also raised funds for the Katie Piper Foundation, an organization that supports individuals living with burn injuries.
Trauma doctor Dr. Fawcett praised Harris’s recovery, stating, “To see Darren a few years later doing so fantastically well is unbelievable.
A Cautionary Tale
Reflecting on the incident, Harris acknowledged his mistake, saying, “I should never have been on the site, but I paid a price for that.” His story serves as a powerful reminder of the dangers associated with illegal activities and the importance of safety and caution.
