One person electrocuted; three injured

leticia vidal

A pastor from the Corozal District tragically lost her life last Friday evening in an unfortunate incident. The victim, forty one year old Leticia Vidal is from the village of Estrella and also ministered in neighboring Libertad Village. Vidal and two minors holidaying at her home were trying to adjust a television antenna to get better reception on Cable when it made contact with a high tension electricity line which runs in front of Vidal’s house.  She was killed instantly, the two others suffered burns while a minor was flung a few feet away. News Five’s Marion Ali went to Estrella and Libertad Villages today and files this report.

Marion Ali, Reporting

The house in Estrella Village where the tragedy occurred after five last Friday evening still painted a picture of what happened when we visited today. There were visible scorch marks at the entrance of the house and a few feet away, the television antennae was still under the high tension wire where it made contact.  The victim’s slippers were still where they collapsed fighting to survive.  Village Chairman, Isiah Budna, lives near the deceased, Leticia Vidal.

Isiah Budna, Chairman, Estrella Village

isiah budna

“Ih seems that deh gone hamper it and ih slide one side and ih touch to di high tension wire. I rush fi wah line stick fi see if I cudda mi shub di pole off di high tension wire but ih mi impossible. We couldn’t do it because ih mi stick pan di wire. So I run fi wah rope fi si if wi could ah—but den we couldn’t do nothing wid di rope neither because di fyah di blaze from di pipe to dem, right.  Ih look like when di current hit dem three ah dehn mi deh partly together so like di current hit dehn, knock dehn gainst di wall and dehn drop right back pan di pipe. Di pipe mi very close to di house and dehn neva had no space fi go nowhere and den Ms. Leticia drop like pan top ah di lee young gyal weh get ih foot burn and di next lady drop right outside in front of dem. So three ah dehn still got contact with di pipe.”

fitzroy yearwood

Sergeant Fitzroy Yearwood, Police Press Officer

“Their television wasn’t showing too clearly and they went to adjust the antennae. Upon doing this, apparently the antennae made contact with the high tension wire and Rosaura Mai, a thirty-six year old female that was also there, apparently held on to Ms. Vidal as to try to move her from the pole. Upon seeing this a fourteen year old minor that was with them held on to her and they tried to remove Ms. Vidal. But all three of them ended up being electrocuted. The final person, an eleven year old minor, she came out and she also tried to remove them and it is believed that it was at that point that they managed to get away from the antennae but it was too late for Ms. Vidal.”

There was nothing that could be done to save the life of Pastor Leticia Vidal.  Her death will not only be felt in Estrella but also in neighbouring Libertad Village where Natividad Aldana lives and attends services at the Full Gospel Church of God where Pastor Vidal preached for the past ten years.  Aldana told News Five that the loss is a personal one because Vidal had always been much more than a pastor to her.

Natividad Aldana, Friend of Deceased

natividad aldana

“She was – I can’t explain it but everything we need or noh have we can go to her because she was like a mother. I have lost my mother from years ago and for me, everything was she if I have a problem or something. We can count on her.  It’s very hard for all the people of Libertad. Last night I think all the people of Libertad were at the church.”

The villagers turned out in numbers to mourn the loss of their pastor on Sunday night and today they returned to pay their last respects at the same church where Vidal had for so many years preached to her flock.  After the service, Vidal’s body was taken to Roaring Creek Village for interment.  The incident is one that brings to mind the advisory that the Belize Electricity Limited, to refrain from making contact with high tension wires. Marion Ali for News Five.

Damauri Tesecum was today shuttled by air ambulance to the US for advance medical treatment while Rosaura Mai was treated and released from the Corozal Town Hospital for burns to her hands.  The twelve year old minor is said to be doing well after she suffered the least of the injuries.