Kitesurfer zapped by powerlines

A French kitesurfer was put on life support after his kite drifted him into electric wires in Bunbury on Saturday afternoon.

Bunbury police sergeant Laurie Stubbs said the man had just taken off from a beach in South Bunbury at 1.50pm when a gust of wind sucked him across Ocean Drive and into live electric wires.

Sergeant Stubbs said the kitesurfer received an electric shock, dropped four metres from the wires, and his head slammed into the ground.

An off-duty police officer who was reading a book before his shift in a car nearby saw the incident and called an ambulance.

The experienced kitesurfer was taken to Bunbury Regional Hospital, then transported to Royal Perth Hospital where he was placed on life support.

Sergeant Stubbs said the man's critical condition had now been downgraded to stable, and he was now off life support.


From watoday.com.au



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