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	Subject - Help with electrical scenario NewGuy Hi guys, I'm a Physics student and am currently learning about electricity. I'm doing a paper that analyzes an accident a friend of mine had with a high voltage power line. I'm stuck on my approach and need some expert advice on how to look at the accident. My friend was holding her little cousin's hand in the snow. Her cousin touched the power line. They both got knocked down. Her cousin only had a golf-sized burn on top of the hand my friend was holding. My friend had a similar burn on that hand plus the tip of her thumb was blown off and she had round coin sized burns along the side of her body but no burns on her feet. I am modeling it as current through two resistors. The part I'm stuck on is whether the current actually caused arcs that exited her side while she was standing (wouldn't it have been easier to go through her feet and shoes?) or whether it exited her side when she fell to the ground (thus not leaving burns on her feet). If it actually arced while she was still up, would she be better modeled as a capacitor? Hope these questions are not out of place or too dumb... I'm still trying to understand this stuff. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, T. Xiong JimmyDee I'll take a shot at what may have happened. It is easy to understand the burns on the hands of the 2 individuals. The thumb being blown off is beyond understanding unless it was the first major path of current flow. With enough current flow the blood will boil and cause an explosion within the blood vessels. The burns on the side could have been where your cousin was sweating or skin was moist against damp clothing. I doubt that there was still a connection to the power source when she fell. Remember that the primary path of current through the body is through the salt rich blood vessels and it my be that the current found it best path to ground at that spots where the burns were. All of this is, of course, pure speculation but I hope it helps. Jim NewGuy Thanks for the reply Jim. So what you're saying is that the current actually exited her before they fell to the ground? If so, wouldn't the current had to have caused arcs to reach the ground? Otherwise it would've gone through her feet right? By the way, the burns and damaged thumb were on the side opposite to the hand she was holding her cousin's with. -T. Xiong wireman I'm just wondering how two innocent people walking in the snow came into contact with a high voltage line in the first place. NewGuy Wireman, They were at a snow play area in the mountains. One of the power lines had come loose (bad weather the previous days) and was hanging low on the edge of the play area. wireman I see. David Hyatt Praise God they are alive. JimmyDee If they were in snow, wouldn't they have had boots on as well as shoes? That would have provided more protection for the feet. My thought is that the pants and coat could have been wet from snow or sweat and provided the best path to ground. Usually the current flow will cause a violent contraction of the muscles and they were probably disconnected from the source at the time they were on the ground. What was the voltage of the line? Jim cs409 am guessing(not assuming, still cleaning off the last assumpson LOL) this was a power distribution line, in the range of 7200 to 7600volts or higher...now, its in the snow just being quite and nice until this friend and her young cousin in hand approach and the young cousin reaches down and touches it!! the above thoughts on how all happened after the touch/pickup are good ones,,,very correct...but if this is a true story, i would like to know how it didnt kill either if not both.... i recall an example of an accident much like this one YEARS ago for a problem....burns and to have a thumb blow off tells me there may be more damage to this friends insides! oh, the flow will follow the path with the least amount of resistances...and it does this at the speed of light!...real fast. good luck in your studies, aussiesparky Is it possible the thumb injury was actually the exit point of the current from the body? If so then your friend is extremely lucky to be alive. High Voltage! nasty stuff, most who have been in the trade will have seen 22 000 volts and above draw nice arcs as HV switches are opened.