american missionary falls off a roof in SD

Hillbilly

Hillbilly

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Jan 1, 2002
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One of my extended family is very good friends with this fellow's father in Utah. This was terrible news for the family.

In East Santo Domingo. Let's hope it was just an accident.


HB
 
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2dlight

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Jun 3, 2004
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My employee told me about this incident this morning and I did not post about it because she tells me things sometimes that I find hard to believe. She said the young Mormon missionary was cleaning a tinaco on the rooftop and attempted to remove a kite from some electrical wires overhead and was electrocuted and fell to the ground below. He lived with three other young men and was 18 years old according to her; she lives nearby and nothing happens in the neighborhood that she doesn't "know about".
 
alexw

alexw

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2dlight said:
My employee told me about this incident this morning and I did not post about it because she tells me things sometimes that I find hard to believe. She said the young Mormon missionary was cleaning a tinaco on the rooftop and attempted to remove a kite from some electrical wires overhead and was electrocuted and fell to the ground below. He lived with three other young men and was 18 years old according to her; she lives nearby and nothing happens in the neighborhood that she doesn't "know about".
Click to expand...

That sounds plausible. RIP to the poor kid
 
D

dv8

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Sep 27, 2006
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2dlight said:
My employee told me about this incident this morning and I did not post about it because she tells me things sometimes that I find hard to believe. She said the young Mormon missionary was cleaning a tinaco on the rooftop and attempted to remove a kite from some electrical wires overhead and was electrocuted and fell to the ground below. He lived with three other young men and was 18 years old according to her; she lives nearby and nothing happens in the neighborhood that she doesn't "know about".
Click to expand...

the story checks out:
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...-provocado-muerte-de-misionero-estadounidense
 
JD Jones

JD Jones

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Jan 7, 2016
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Sad to hear about this young guy.

I don't understand why they are so withdrawn and unfriendly though. I have bumped into dozens of them over the years and I've yet to meet one that was outgoing at all.
 
frank recktenwald

frank recktenwald

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JDJones said:
Sad to hear about this young guy.

I don't understand why they are so withdrawn and unfriendly though. I have bumped into dozens of them over the years and I've yet to meet one that was outgoing at all.
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I've met many and all of them were very friendly, withdrawn a bit yes because they stick to each other and don't have much in common with an Antichrist like me anyway. ;)
Unfortunately for the kid, I wished he would have learned about life first before trying to teach other people how they should live. :ermm:
 
Cdn_Gringo

Cdn_Gringo

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I am sure that most of the electricity distribution system suffers from the same grounding problems that most buildings do. One has to be very careful with electricity in this country, with no easier path for the current to go other than through you, what should result in a painful shock can very easily become a full on electrocution.

It would have been quick if that is any consolation. It's 250V from a transformer to a building.
 
T

tee

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This is so sad....my condolences to the family. I see so many kids here in the DR playing with kites and I am sure that not one of them have been told about the dangers of kite flying around overhead cables and as we know, are all over the place. A little bit of simple education can save so many lives. Growing up as a kid in the UK you would always see public announcements on the TV especially when the kids shows were on about playing with kites, playing near water etc.
Here is one they always played..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uT_wwkCoBL8
 
Z

zoomzx11

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Jan 21, 2006
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Is it possible that deadly voltage can pass down a string? I am ignorant about electricity except to avoid it.
I would expect lighting to have the electrical force to travel on a string but would the domestic electrical service have enough force?
Just wondering.
At any rate I am not going on roofs and certainly not untangling kite strings from electrical wires.
My wife's favorite electrician only has one hand. He lost the other in an electrical accident.
Wife says he works cheaper due to having only one hand.
 
Cdn_Gringo

Cdn_Gringo

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Natural fiber string on a kite, probably wouldn't last long before the electricity burned through the string breaking the path to the ground. Monofilament fishing line or synthetic twine might be different. It all happens so quickly and a wet string presents a bigger risk than a dry one.

AC current is super dangerous. It can lock your muscles so you can't let go. Then there is the effect of AC on your heart rhythm. The take away is that no one should be anywhere near live current in this country. You have to test every time before you touch a wire just to be sure as really weird things are done by "electricians" here all the time. Turn off the current, make sure someone can't come along and turn it back on. Test, and test again. House wiring scares me. I won't go near power lines. Better to buy a new kite.
 
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dv8

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Sep 27, 2006
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my experience with dominican kites tells me it was likely rubbish bags stretched over a wire hanger with a tail made of plastic bags torn into strips. fish line or thick white thread used for a string. easy to tangle in electric cables and happens a lot. few such deaths each year, mostly kids.

maybe that young man was not here long enough to know that one should never ever touch anything hanging from electric wires. sad story. may he rest in peace.
 
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2dlight

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Not to dispute the official newspaper report since I wasn't there; word is that the young man was in fact cleaning the tinaco and not retrieving a bucket of water up on the roof since water flows downward from the tinaco, thereby negating the need to climb up to it. The wires were low-hanging and he most likely grabbed them accidentally. My person in the know says he was in boxers, sleeveless "polosher", socks and sandals. He was a very polite young man who would go to her house along with another missionary to talk to her about the church. She and other neighbors all cried together when they found out it was him in the incident.
 
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