Three hurt as boat hits cable

A middle-aged man is in intensive care after the incident

A man is still being treated in intensive care at a Devon hospital after suffering an electric shock when the mast of a boat he was pushing brushed against an overhead power cable on Sunday.

The man and a teenager were pushing a fibreglass boat towards a reservoir at Roadford Watersports Centre, near Okehampton in Devon, when the accident occurred.

A Devon and Cornwall police spokesman said the middle-aged man was left unconscious and was airlifted to Derriford Hospital in Plymouth where he is currently in intensive care.

A woman in her 70s was badly burned when she tried to help pull the man away from the boat.

She's an instinctive woman Dick Seeley, son-in-law

" I believe they cried for help and a lady in her 70s from a nearby caravan rushed out to help," said Sergeant Richard Nettleship of Devon and Cornwall Police.

"From our inquiries it seems she tried to pull them off the boat and received some nasty burns."

Her son-in-law, Dick Seeley said he was not surprised she tried to help.

"She's an instinctive woman," said Mr Seeley.

"This bloke was apparently thrown under the boat after it hit the power line and she just went to pull him away and of course she got burned."

Remained live

The 15-year-old boy was taken to hospital suffering from shock, the spokesman said.

The boat remained live for about two hours after the incident until Western Power Distribution were able to isolate the electricity supply.

The Health and Safety Executive has been informed.

Officers from Devon and Cornwall Police are carrying out inquiries at the South West Lakes Trust reservoir, which is used for sailing, canoeing and windsurfing.