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A 61-YEAR-OLD Venezuela-born woman suffered third degree burns when two TTEC electrical lines fell on her on Henry Street, Port-of-Spain yesterday.
Angelina Diaz, a mother of three, was saved from being electrocuted when Downtown Owners and Merchants Association (DOMA) president Gregory Aboud and passers-by used a stick to pull the live wires off of her body.
Aboud used the piece of wood to move the two wires from Diaz as she lay unconscious on the ground. Aboud’s heroics were revealed by Diaz during an interview with Newsday from her hospital bed yesterday. Diaz said she was lucky to be alive.
Diaz of Charford Court, Port-of-Spain said she had just purchased an airline ticket to travel to New York and was walking along Henry Street in Port-of-Spain at about 11 am, when the overhead wires fell on her.
“I saw what looked like fire falling before me and then I felt pain in my arms, stomach...all over,†Diaz said. She added that the pain was so excruciating that she started praying and then saw a man wearing glasses (Aboud) with a piece of stick trying to remove the wires from her body.
“I then blacked out and when I regained consciousness I was in the hospital,†Diaz said. Diaz who is Venezuelan by birth secured citizenship and considers herself a Trinidadian. Diaz said she was visited by TTEC officials who brought a bouquet of flowers and fruits. Yesterday, her relatives were making arrangements to have Diaz moved to the St Clair Medical Centre in preparation to have her flown to Miami. TTEC officials confirmed the commission will be footing the bill for Diaz to go to the Miami Burns Centre for treatment.
Aboud told Newsday yesterday that when he saw Diaz lying under tangled the lines he realised emergency personnel would not arrive in time because of the traffic.
“When I approached the scene and knelt close to the lady, I observed that she was breathing. I then used a piece of wood which I found nearby and with the help of other members of the public was able to extricate the woman from the lines,†Aboud said.
“We then had the assistance of a policeman who transported the lady to the Port-of-Spain General Hospital,†he added.
Henry Street was closed off between Independence Square and Duke Street and electricity to the area was shut off. Stephen Martel, TTEC corporate communications officer, confirmed that two lines burst and fell on Diaz. “We have launched an investigation to determine how the lines burst and this will be conducted by the northern distribution area of TTEC and the safety department,†Martel said.
He admitted that reports were made yesterday about lines sparking on the street but by the time field workmen responded, Diaz had already been shocked by the lines. Kendall Francis, TTEC assistant area manger/operations said a thorough inspection of electricity lines in Port-of-Spain will be conducted.
Angelina Diaz, a mother of three, was saved from being electrocuted when Downtown Owners and Merchants Association (DOMA) president Gregory Aboud and passers-by used a stick to pull the live wires off of her body.
Aboud used the piece of wood to move the two wires from Diaz as she lay unconscious on the ground. Aboud’s heroics were revealed by Diaz during an interview with Newsday from her hospital bed yesterday. Diaz said she was lucky to be alive.
Diaz of Charford Court, Port-of-Spain said she had just purchased an airline ticket to travel to New York and was walking along Henry Street in Port-of-Spain at about 11 am, when the overhead wires fell on her.
“I saw what looked like fire falling before me and then I felt pain in my arms, stomach...all over,†Diaz said. She added that the pain was so excruciating that she started praying and then saw a man wearing glasses (Aboud) with a piece of stick trying to remove the wires from her body.
“I then blacked out and when I regained consciousness I was in the hospital,†Diaz said. Diaz who is Venezuelan by birth secured citizenship and considers herself a Trinidadian. Diaz said she was visited by TTEC officials who brought a bouquet of flowers and fruits. Yesterday, her relatives were making arrangements to have Diaz moved to the St Clair Medical Centre in preparation to have her flown to Miami. TTEC officials confirmed the commission will be footing the bill for Diaz to go to the Miami Burns Centre for treatment.
Aboud told Newsday yesterday that when he saw Diaz lying under tangled the lines he realised emergency personnel would not arrive in time because of the traffic.
“When I approached the scene and knelt close to the lady, I observed that she was breathing. I then used a piece of wood which I found nearby and with the help of other members of the public was able to extricate the woman from the lines,†Aboud said.
“We then had the assistance of a policeman who transported the lady to the Port-of-Spain General Hospital,†he added.
Henry Street was closed off between Independence Square and Duke Street and electricity to the area was shut off. Stephen Martel, TTEC corporate communications officer, confirmed that two lines burst and fell on Diaz. “We have launched an investigation to determine how the lines burst and this will be conducted by the northern distribution area of TTEC and the safety department,†Martel said.
He admitted that reports were made yesterday about lines sparking on the street but by the time field workmen responded, Diaz had already been shocked by the lines. Kendall Francis, TTEC assistant area manger/operations said a thorough inspection of electricity lines in Port-of-Spain will be conducted.
