Boy, 2, shocked to death

IN a freak accident in Uitenhage yesterday, a two-year-old boy died shortly after being electrocuted by his family's washing machine.

Described by a neighbour as a "one-of-a- kind child" who was ahead of his years, Sibusiso Pietersen-Blom, of Makappa Street in Blikkiesdorp, was washing his socks outside his family's home when he was electrocuted shortly after 9am.

According to family members and the neighbour, the boy had been standing in water which ran out of the back of the twin tub machine after the water outlet pipe had become disconnected. He then touched the metal cover at the back of the machine and was electrocuted.

The two-year-old machine, which was viewed by The Herald, appeared to be in fairly good condition. There were no exposed electrical wires, leaving the family perplexed as to how the accident could have occurred.

Traumatised and visibly dazed, family members and friends, including the boy's shocked mother and father, Janine, 30, and Christopher, 44, and his 10-year-old sister Tasneen, gathered at the house yesterday where conversations were held in muted tones.

Barely able to speak through her tears, Janine said she was just a few metres from her child when the incident happened.

"When he woke up this morning he asked me if I was going to work. He loved cars and travelling in taxis, which is why I think he asked. He then said he wanted to wash his socks and started doing this. But he was playing behind the machine when he was shocked. I am really, really going to miss him. I am so very sad," she said.

Janine said she could no longer bear to look at the machine. "But what can we do, we are still paying this machine off."

Christopher said he could not understand how the accident had happened. "The machine is just two years old and works well. So I don't know how this happened."

Close neighbour and friend of the family Mandy Nkanjeni, who also shared a close relationship with the boy, said she witnessed the incident.

"After he touched the machine, he just started shaking and then fell to the ground. We called the ambulance, which took a very long time to come. In that time, when I was trying to get hold of the ambulance services, someone tried to revive Sibusiso and they managed to get him awake.

"He then fell unconscious again. When the ambulance arrived, the medics also tried to help him and to get his heart going, but it was too late."

She said Sibusiso and her dog, which also recently died, were great friends. "I always said they were twins, they were always together."

Nkanjeni said the boy was already learning to speak English and was "mentally way ahead of his years". "That boy was one of a kind. He always said sorry when he did something wrong and he also always said thank you when he was given things.

"He had very good manners. We are going to miss him," she said.

The family said they would request that the police look at the washing machine as part of their investigation into the incident.

"Sibusiso is at the mortuary at the Provincial Hospital here in Uitenhage. We have to go there to identify him. We are told that the postmortem ... will find out what the exact cause of his death was.

"After that, we will try to make plans to bury him," Christopher said.

"I am unemployed and my wife only works two days a week, so we have big financial problems and are going to find it very hard to have the funeral and bury him."

Uitenhage police spokesman Warrant Officer Basil Seekoei said: "It appears he was playing behind the washing machine when he slipped and fell. The drainage pipe to the washing machine was also loose and the water started to pour out. In an attempt to get up his foot then touched the metal plate of the washing machine."

He said Sibusiso was rushed by ambulance to hospital, where he died.

Seekoei said an inquest investigation into the incident would be held. - Shaun Gillham