A 14 year old angler, fishing with his father on the North West Model Boat pond in Horwich, Lancashire, suffered severe burns to his hands when his rod touched the overhead electric cables.
Such was the force of the shock it threw him into the water.
Paramedics treated him at the scene and then airlifted him to the Royal Preston hospital.
**Safety Note**
Never, ever, fish close to overhead power lines. You don’t have to touch the lines to be in danger. The electricity can arc across from the cable to make contact with carbon rods and poles. Carbon is an excellent conductor of electricity.
Many fishing rods and poles carry this warning sticker: 
