My Deadly Mistake Taught Me an Unforgettable Safety Lesson
Be aware of your surroundings at all times
I wasn't expecting to wind up electrocuted and left for dead that morning. But accidents often happen when we're least expecting them. The consequences of a careless mistake taught me a critical safety lesson. By sharing it with others, I hope to save some lives.
The fateful morning
Everything seemed to be going smoothly that day until an ominous sound filled the air.
Zzzt zzzt zzzt
A man shouted, "Lie down! Don't move!"
"What happened?" I asked, confused.
"You touched a cable, and you've been electrocuted. Keep still," he replied.
I lay on the ground — shocked.
An emergency scene
As I looked around, it became apparent a bus had crashed, and there were multiple casualties. I listened to the cries of injured passengers while bystanders asked questions in urgent voices,
"Did you see what happened?"
"Where are you hurt?"
"Did you hit your head?"
"You — in the blue shirt, call 911 and report back to me".
Utter chaos.
Helpless and frustrated
Most unbearable was being unable to help. From my horizontal position, I assessed the scene and thought about everything I could be doing for the injured people around me.
I had first aid training, but because I'd forgotten to check for danger before rushing to help, I'd become a casualty and was now useless. Silently, I coached the first responders as they gave CPR, bandaged wounds, and supported broken limbs.
Finally, the man who told me I'd been electrocuted called a stop to the proceedings.
"So," he said, chin down, eyebrows raised, looking pointedly at me. "What have we all learned from this exercise?" Cringing with embarrassment, I slowly raised my hand.
First aid scenario
It was the end of a two-day Red Cross Standard First Aid & CPR class, and the instructor was putting our new skills to the test. He split us into two groups and told my group to wait in the hallway. After a while, we'd be called in to deal with an emergency scene and would have to give first aid to any casualties we found.
The instructor set up the room with the other class members while we waited nervously in the hallway. A few minutes later, he flung open the door, eyes wide with panic. "Help! Quick! There's been a terrible accident. People are injured!"
The crucial question
As instructed, before entering the room, I asked, "Is the scene safe?" The instructor paused before answering, "The scene appears to be safe." In hindsight, I should've listened more carefully to his emphasis on the word appears.
Hearts thumping and adrenaline pumping, my classmates and I rushed into the room and looked around. We saw injured people everywhere, moaning, groaning, crying, dying, pools of fake blood on the floor. I ran to a man lying on his back with his eyes closed. Kneeling beside him, I began to check for responsiveness, and that's when I heard an ominous sound,
Zzzt zzzt zzzt
I looked up in confusion to find the instructor standing beside me. He told me I'd just been electrocuted and pointed to the floor by my casualty's chest. I noticed I was kneeling on a wire trailing beneath the man's body.
In my rush to save a life, I'd killed myself.
A humiliating moment and a powerful lesson
The instructor told me to lie quietly beside my casualty as I was now dead and unable to help him. I lay on the ground, humiliated, while the other students in my group saved their injured people. It was a humbling moment. Until that point, I'd felt pretty confident in the skills I'd learned during the course, but as I lay helpless beside my dying person, I knew I'd missed the most critical step.
I vowed NEVER to make the same mistake again.
Rushing around and not paying attention are common reasons people have accidents. That day, I learned a vital lesson. Always check for dangers whenever you enter a room or new environment.
Look up, down, all around. Is there something you could trip on or slip on? Is there fire, wire, gas, glass, drugs, or thugs?
Remember — If you're killed or injured, you can't help anyone.
In 1998, I completed my training to become a Red Cross first aid instructor. The following year, I launched my company, Safe + Sound First Aid Training Ltd., and twenty-five years later, we are still going strong.
Over the years, I've taught hundreds of first aid & CPR courses and trained thousands of people. I've electrocuted many students in first-aid scenarios and taught the same valuable lesson I learned years ago. I hope I've saved some lives by sharing the story of my deadly mistake.
Be aware of your surroundings and always check for dangers when entering a new environment. If you haven't already done so, take a first aid class and learn to save a life.