- **WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT**
A man whose arms and face melted after touching electrical wires carrying 11,000 volts has thanked paramedics who helped save his life.
Darren Harris was left in shock as he attempted to steal scrap metal from a derelict building in Wolverhampton on 24 November 2020.
He said he was “struggling to get funds” during the lockdown and assumed the power inside the building was out.
Mr Harris suffered ‘horrible burns’ to his arms, face, chest and abdomen when the 11,000-volt electrical panel completely melted his forearms down to the bone.
He also lost his left thumb, both ears and the tip of his nose and was rendered completely unconscious by the force of the electricity.
Darren Harris pictured with paramedic Gary Williams, who responded to the 999 call
Mr Harris suffered ‘horrible burns’ to his arms, face, chest and abdomen when the 11,000-volt electrical panel completely melted his forearms down to the bone.
Mr Harris pictured before his accident in November 2020
Mr Harris spent months in Birmingham’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital receiving specialist treatment.
He spent 27 days in a coma and has so far had a total of 23 operations and is currently awaiting a date for hand surgery.
Doctors said it was a miracle that anyone could survive such a large surge of electricity to the body.
Now, four years later, Mr Harris has met with paramedics Gary Williams and Matt Walker and trauma doctor Richard Fawcett, who responded to the 999 call that day.
Mr Harris was quoted by the BBC as saying: ‘During lockdown I struggled to get funding and went looking for illegal scrap metal from buildings being demolished.
‘Unfortunately, I put my left arm on an 11KV electrical box, which completely melted my forearms down to the bone.
‘I ran in front of the ambulance coming towards me to flag it down and both the paramedics’ faces were white as a ghost.’
He lost his left thumb, both ears and the tip of his nose and was rendered completely unconscious by the force of the electricity.
Darren Harris was reunited with paramedics Gary Williams and Matt Walker, along with trauma doctor Richard Fawcett four years after they saved his life.
Mr Harris spent months in Birmingham’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital receiving specialist treatment.
He added that he “should never have been there” but “paid a price for it.”
Orthopedic surgeon Dr Fawcett added: “To see Darren a few years later doing so fantastically well is incredible.”
Mr Harris works as a self-employed scaffolder and has managed to return to work, despite previous concerns about whether he would ever be fit enough.
She has also raised money for the Katy Piper Foundation, which helps people living with burn injuries.