Man electrocuted while picking mangoes, falls into fence

MANILA, Philippines — A 21-year-old man in Quezon City on Friday was electrocuted while trying to pick mangoes which caused him to fall into a spiked fence, piercing the left side of his body.

Authorities identified the young man as Ernie Lumahan, a resident of San Vicente, Brgy. U.P. Campus in Quezon City.

The incident reportedly happened in a subdivision in Culiat between 12 noon to 1:30 p.m.

The owner of the tree, Mark Mendoza, said that the victim’s wife had asked him if they could pick trees from his mango tree, which he allowed them to do.

“Talagang ginagawa nila ‘yun kasi pangtulong sa kanila. Kung minsan ‘yung mangga binebenta nila, siguro pambili ng bigas o ulam,” he said in an interview with INQUIRER.net.

(They really do that [pick mangoes] to gain extra income to buy food.)

Mendoza recounted that he and his family were eating when they heard shouts from outside. When he went out, he said Lumahan was already dangling by the fence.

“Akala ko noong una, nakasabit lang. ‘Yun pala may nakatusok, ang lakas na ng apoy,” he said.

(I thought he was just dangling at first but upon closer look, I saw that he was pierced and there was fire already.)

Rescue was called by then.

Mendoza said the rescue team was not able to remove Lumahan from the fence because they could also be electrocuted. It was only when the electricity went off when they were able to rescue him.

Brgy. Culiat admin officer Diosdado Yapcengco Jr. said that the tool Lumahan used for picking mangoes may have had a metal tip which was why he was electrocuted.

“Pagkakuryente tapos bumagsak, tumama roon sa pader na may mga grills na matutulis, so natusok ‘yung left part ng katawan niya,” Yapcengco said.

(When he was electrocuted, he fell and was pierced by the spiked fence on the left part of his body.)

READ: Worker dies, 3 others hurt in electrocution accident inside Zamboanga City factory