Jayden Disher died while setting up an electric fence. Photo / Supplied
A 15-year-old farm hand died while setting up an electric fence after part of the wire touched low-hanging power lines, a coroner has found.
Jayden Disher was found in a paddock by his boss in August 2019, an hour after being tasked to set up an electric fence — a job he had done many times before.
The fence was to be strung between two high points of the paddock and after he set the fence at one end, he walked to the other and pulled the wire tight.
The wire then touched or came near enough to the powerlines to arc and he was subsequently electrocuted.
WorkSafe investigated the incident and found the overhead power lines were higher than the minimum height requirement for that voltage and location.
In in-chamber findings released on Wednesday by Coroner Rachael Schmidt-McCleave, it stated Disher had left school to pursue a career in farming.
He’d only worked on this particular farm in rural Waikato for a few months but had already received a pay rise and was on track to become second in charge.
His boss described him as “hardworking, well-liked, had a lovely nature and interacted well with people who came on to the farm”.
“He was always willing to help. He really cared about the animals and the land”.
Disher had checked in with his boss the afternoon he died and was assigned the task of setting up the electric fence because he was “meticulous” at it.
But after an hour into the job, he wouldn’t answer his phone and his employer took off on his motorbike to check on him.
He found the teen lying in a paddock. While CPR was administered, a pathologist later found he would have died within seconds.
“It was only with the benefit of hindsight that the risk has become obvious,” Coroner Schmidt-McCleave said in her findings.
“WorkSafe recommended that no further action be taken, noting that permanent fencing through the paddock had been installed, along with signage at the gates of all paddocks with overhead powerlines.”
She ruled Disher’s death was accidental and extended her condolences to his family.
WorkSafe said in its report that there weren’t any specific industry guidelines to avoid this kind of accident, and noted that it was “foreseeable that a similar event could occur in the future”.
The report writer recommended WorkSafe take steps to address this “knowledge gap” and inform the relevant sectors.
The coroner recommended that WorkSafe issue a hazard alert about powerlines in the agricultural sector, and review its guidance in this area.
The young woman became resentful over having to care for the 2-year-old.