Ausgrid has issued a warning to locals to be careful when installing Christmas lights after a Lake Macquarie resident got quite the shock.
A resident was attempting to throw the fairy lights from the ground to the top of a tree at a block of units at Charlestown on Sunday.
But, the lights got caught on active power lines instead.
The person tried to remove them without disconnecting the power, resulting in a jolt – Ausgrid crews had to be called out to disconnect the power in order to remove the lights.
Ausgrid is urging residents not to attach lights or decorations directly onto or close to any electrical equipment.
Ausgrid Group Executive of Safety, Delivery and Operations, Sam Sofi, is urging all customers to follow some basic steps to make sure their Christmas lights are being installed safely.
“We’re thankful on this occasion the customer wasn’t seriously hurt, however any contact with electricity is putting your life at risk. We all enjoy putting Christmas lights up at this time of year, but there are no second chances with electricity. Physical contact, or even close proximity, to live electricity has the potential to cause serious injury or death,
“Our number one priority is the safety of the community and the last thing we want to see is anyone being injured or worse, so please never attach lights or decorations directly onto or close to any electrical equipment, including powerlines, power poles or the service wires which run between your property and the poles in the street.”