A teacher and her six-year-old son both died after being electrocuted by a washing machine power lead.
Diana Michelle Machado Santos da Silva, 30, and Pietro Vinicius Santos de Oliveira, six, were killed at their home in the Formosa neighbourhood, of Timon, a city in the Brazilian state of Maranhao, on April 20. It is believed that Diana noticed her son receiving an electric shock and ended up being electrocuted herself when she went to his aid.
Police said that both the teacher and her son died at the scene. Firefighters had rushed to the incident were they found the two victims and the bodies were sent to a local morgue with an investigation now underway to establish the exact causes and circumstances of their deaths.
The local police said that the boy was electrocuted after touching an iron railing that was in contact with a loose live cable from the washing machine and then Diana also came in contact with the current when she tried help him. A police spokesperson said: "The extension cord came into contact with an iron railing in the house, which was electrified by a bare wire. The child touched the railing and was shocked."
Following the tragedy Lieutenant Raphaello Carvalho, from the Timon Fire Department, gave advice on what people should do if they find somebody who is being electrocuted “The first step is to identify what is happening and how it is happening. The objective is to try to help and not at the same time then become a victim as well," he told local media.
“It is important to remain calm and try to identify from where the person is receiving the current - if it is their hands, feet... and whether it was a power line that may have fallen, whether a puddle of water is also contributing and only after identifying all of this should you act." He added: “It is very important that all families know where the circuit breaker panels are located in their homes so that in the event of an accident they can turn them off. But if this is not possible, the resident should immediately call the Fire Department."
