Woman electrocuted while vacuuming her artificial lawn has life saved by her Puma rubber sliders

A woman who suffered an electric shock while vacuuming her artificial garden survived because she was wearing her rubber sliders.

Kerry Tattersley, 36, felt a ‘massive tingle’ through her body as she removed an extension lead and unknowingly touched a live current at her home in Halifax, West Yorkshire.

The resulting shock flung her towards a nearby wall before she was rushed to hospital, where doctors told her the pair of £30 Puma sliders had saved her life.

Ms Tattersley, a support worker, said: ‘I was in my garden vacuuming my artificial grass and my extension lead was plugged in too.

‘I had finished vacuuming the grass and went to unplug the extension and the back plastic bit must have been loose.

‘I didn’t know, and I grabbed it and it fell off while I had hold of the plug and I got electrocuted and I got flung back into my wall.

‘The pain was like a dull ache and a massive tingle through my body and it was like electricity going through my arms.

Kerry Tattersley, 36, was flung towards a garden wall when she unknowingly touched a live current at her home in Halifax, West Yorkshire

Mrs Tattersley, a care worker, was informed by a doctor in hospital that her Puma rubber sliders may have acted as an insulator and saved her life

Mrs Tattersley, a care worker, was informed by a doctor in hospital that her Puma rubber sliders may have acted as an insulator and saved her life

Mrs Tattersley was wearing a pair of £30 Puma sliders when the incident took place in her garden

Mrs Tattersley was wearing a pair of £30 Puma sliders when the incident took place in her garden

Despite the shock, Kerry only sought medical attention when she started experiencing shortness of breath

Despite the shock, Kerry only sought medical attention when she started experiencing shortness of breath

‘I was running up and down my kitchen. My arms were shaking, but I couldn’t stop them from shaking either. It was like I had no control over them. It was like an eight out of 10 pain.’

Despite the shock, Kerry did not immediately seek medical attention and it was only when she started experiencing shortness of breath that a friend convinced her to call 111 for advice.

She added: ‘I was on the phone to my friend and she said I needed to ring the hospital but I said “I’ll be fine”.

‘But I started to breathe a little funny like losing my breath so she said ‘well ring 111 if you don’t want to phone the hospital, just get some advice’.

‘So, I did, and the operator said for me to stay where I am, and an ambulance is coming for me and for me to go get my daughter from bed just in case I go unconscious and what to do if I do.’

The operator on the end of the line sent out an ambulance to her house, where paramedics explained that she had a fast pulse, a high heart rate and her hands were differing temperatures before taking her to Calderdale Royal Hospital to undergo an electrocardiogram.

Ms Tattersley continued: ‘When the paramedic arrived they did my heart rate and blood pressure then asked the normal questions and also asked what happened and if I had taken any medication and how my pain felt.

‘They then said I needed to go to the hospital because my pulse was fast and my heart rate was a little high and my hands are two different temperatures.’

She was left with nerve damage in her arm, but doctors explained that her life was saved by her Puma sliders, which prevented her from becoming grounded by the current.

Paramedics told Kerry that she had a fast pulse, a high heart rate and her hands were differing temperatures

Paramedics told Kerry that she had a fast pulse, a high heart rate and her hands were differing temperatures

After paramedics attended her home, Kerry was taken to Calderdale Royal Hospital to undergo an electrocardiogram

After paramedics attended her home, Kerry was taken to Calderdale Royal Hospital to undergo an electrocardiogram

Medics told Kerry that her Puma rubber sliders had acted as an insulator an essentially saved her life

Medics told Kerry that her Puma rubber sliders had acted as an insulator an essentially saved her life

A grateful Kerry looks at the pair of sliders that saved her life as she innocently vacuumed her garden

A grateful Kerry looks at the pair of sliders that saved her life as she innocently vacuumed her garden

Ms Tattersley said: ‘The doctor asked what had happened then he explained about what happens when you get a nasty shock.

‘He then said: “Are those what you were wearing at the time?’

‘I said “yes”, and he said: “well you’re lucky because they probably saved your life”. I was shocked, literally.’

The doctors explained that the rubber sliders had acted as an insulator and stopped the electrical charge from the socket from reaching the ground through her body.

She added: ‘I am better now. Just my arm and right hand are very weak. I can’t really hold a lot in it.’

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