Boy in bad state after electrical explosion
A 17-year-old Hornlee, Knysna boy is recovering from severe burn wounds after an electrical box exploded on Sunday 30 September.
Yulin Davids was, according to his mother Carol, closing the box that is a constant worry for residents as the door is almost permanently open. "We have reported it many times but nothing is done – the box is supposed to be locked but it never is. When the wind blows the door opens and shuts the whole time. It is near a creche so residents have started closing it themselves," she said.
On this fateful day, it was exactly what Yulin was doing – closing the box as many residents have done before him. "And all of a sudden it exploded. My son caught fire, but luckily his friend (who was with him but unharmed) used a shirt to kill the flames and brought him home. He was burnt very badly and rushed to the Knysna Hospital. Now we are in George where I am staying with him. At one point there was a chance he would lose his arm," the traumatised mother said, adding that Yulin's injuries turned out to be much worse than initially thought – he received burns to his right arm, chest and face.
On Tuesday 9 October, Carol said Yulin was about to undergo a skin graft. Only after this operation doctors would know if Yulin would regain full use of his arm, she added. Soccer star
Carol also explained how Yulin loves soccer so much that he never misses a game at his school and club where he plays, and that he has also received an award from councillor Donovan Pofadder in recognition of his skills.
Knysna attorney Daan Dercksen confirmed that he has received instructions from Yulin's mother to file a damages claim. "The appropriate statutory notice to kick off the claim will be served on the municipality shortly," Dercksen said.
Queries regarding the electrical box and the pending claim against it were sent to Knysna Municipality, who confirmed that it had received reports of the incident and that the circumstances around it are being investigated. "The municipality cannot stress enough that tampering with these boxes is not only illegal, but the consequences can be life-threatening," it stated, adding that it makes every effort to ensure that mini-substations are locked and secured. "However, we are still faced with the challenge of people breaking into the substation. We ask residents to report any suspicious incidents to Law Enforcement or the police," the statement said.