Sabrina
Electric shock
It was a beautiful sunny day at my parents cottage. I decided to go out there for the day with my daughter and my boyfriend with his three children. The cottage is situated by itself on an island in northern Ontario, Canada.
We met up with my father on the mainland and he let us know the power was out at the cottage, but was going to be turned on around lunch time. My nephew decided to join us so we proceeded over by canoe and kayak. Five children, two adults.
I made us lunch, but power was still off. About 2:00 pm I went swimming with the two girls, 11 at the time. I then returned to the dock to suntan. My daughter was showing me an underwater cartwheel when she just froze underwater. The other girl was standing making twitching noises. I immediately stood up an yelled help, jumped in the water and could feel that the water was electrified. I yelled again twice "were being electrocuted" so my boyfriend and children wouldn't follow us in. I was able to take 2 steps, lift my daughter and try to get her face out of the water and to the dock. Then I was lights out.
I eventually woke up on the dock to see that my boyfriend pulled us out, one at a time.
Two hydro workers yelling from the mainland if we were OK. I yelled back: "I don't know".
Twenty minutes it took to stand up, our calves hurt, felt like we ran a marathon. The girls seemed to be doing way better than me. I couldn't turn my head to the left and felt very drunk, body was shaking beyond my control. Hydro workers brought us to the ambulances and to the ER. They monitored our hearts, sent us home.
As the days went by, my tremor progressed to full body. Trouble moving my left side, couldn't wash my hair. Body is week and numb. Couldn't feel the hair on my head.
Walking, speaking, writing, everything wasn't working right anymore. So many symptoms, I was sent for MRI. Came back with electrical injury - Acquired brain injury, lesions on the white and grey matter, C2 C3 vertabray damage, then post concussion syndrome. Two years of cognative rehab. I battle everyday, especially cognitive flooding and terrible headaches.
We take for granted our basic functions, understanding a conversation, reading, writing, loud noises, even talking on the telephone.
Cognitive flooding, sensory overload is my social nightmare. My daughter suffers headaches, some cognitive and post traumatic stress. We are lucky to be alive.
The accident was caused by high voltage underwater submarine cable services by electrical company.
Information about brain injury caused by electric shock: