Bel-Air-Rivière-Sèche: A Teenager Electrocuted While Trying to Retrieve a Ball on a Synthetic Field

A serious incident occurred on Friday night at the synthetic football field in Bel-Air-Rivière-Sèche. A 15-year-old boy collapsed after receiving a severe electric shock while trying to retrieve a ball stuck in the fencing by touching a metal pole.

Upon being alerted, the police quickly arrived at the scene. The boy was first taken to the Medi-Clinic in Bel Air, then transferred to Dr. SAJ Hospital by ambulance. His condition is reported to be stable. According to his father, Casimir, he has started talking again but is still experiencing neck pain, likely due to the fall. Doctors are closely monitoring his recovery.

The father described learning about the incident in a shocking manner. As an electrician by trade, he suspects that a damaged or poorly insulated cable may have caused the shock:

"I found out that my son received a strong electric shock on the synthetic field. His ball was stuck in the net. When he tried to climb up to retrieve it, he got that electric shock. He fell and lost consciousness."

He criticizes the lack of safety measures at this heavily used field for children. He believes several cables are damaged and the facilities are poorly maintained.

"Every day, there are many children. No one performs maintenance. This problem has existed for a long time, but no one takes it seriously," he says.

The father emphasizes the urgent need for intervention:

"Everything needs to be checked before kids play: cables, electrical boxes, the field itself. We need to do a thorough job to prevent another tragedy. Look at those columns, the boxes are not properly secured. Every evening, kids are there until 8 or 9 PM. There is no security at all. They should close this field for a while."

He believes the accident could have been much worse:

"Fortunately, it was a single-phase current, 230 volts. If it had been a three-phase 415 volts, he would have died on the spot. My son is very lucky."

The young boy is supposed to celebrate his 15th birthday next Saturday.

"It’s sad to see him in the hospital when he should be enjoying his youth," his father confides, very emotional.

He calls on the authorities to temporarily close the field for complete repairs. An investigation has been launched to determine the exact cause of the electric shock and assign responsibility.