Farming Around Power Lines Fatality File

Father-of-two killed after backing digger into overhead cable on farm 

A father-of-two died after being electrocuted when the digger he was driving hit a live overheard power line, an inquest was told.

Mr Drummond was pronounced dead at the scene.

The farmer who desperately tried to save Mr Drummond suffered a major electric shock himself and ended up in hospital after being thrown backwards.

Mr Drummond’s wife Claire last saw her husband on the morning of his death.

During the hearing she said: “That morning he was absolutely fine. He was his normal happy and chatty self. He was excited about the job because he might get more work from this man. We said we would meet up for lunch but I didn’t hear from him.”

Farmer David Heywood first thought the young man was having a heart attack.

He said: “I started to walk towards the wagon. I could see him and I thought he was having a heart attack. I said “What’s wrong with you?