A RUNNER was killed instantly after he was electrocuted by a low hanging cable while out jogging, an inquest has heard.
John Henry Oates, 29, was found dead on October 27, 2023 in Lupton, near Kendal, Cumbria.
A four-day inquest into Mr Oates’ death was concluded on Tuesday by Coroner Kirsty Gomersal.
It was said that a “rare and complex sequence of events” led to the tragic jogger’s death.
The court heard Mr Oates had told his parents he was leaving the house for a jog as part of his training for an upcoming half-marathon.
However, the alarm was raised when he failed to return home with his family launching a desperate search for him.
Eventually, Mr Oates’ body was found by his father, the inquest heard.
Mr Oates, who was known as Harry, had been living in Bristol at the time of his death and had just had an offer on his first flat accepted.
His mother, Rosalind Oates, read out a statement after the inquest into the tragedy.
She said: “We would like to take this opportunity to pay brief tribute to Harry.
“He was a loving and deeply loved son, and best friend and inspirational, caring brother to Charlie.
“Harry was treasured by our wider family and his many friends, to whom he was fiercely loyal.
“We are very proud of Harry’s many achievements before his life was snatched from him.
“His greatest achievement was that of the kind, compassionate and professional young man he had become.
“Harry’s tragic death has devastated our lives. His absence is felt constantly, and we miss him beyond words.”
Mr Oates’ father Malcolm Oates read out a statement to the court about his son.
He said that he was “a very approachable and friendly person, energetic and fond of outdoor activities.”
Paul Killilea, from Electricity North West, told the court there had been a rare situation involving simultaneous faults with one of their poles.
This led to a cable dropping low enough to the ground to make contact with Mr Oates.
The resulting shock killed him instantly.
Following an investigation by the power company it emerged that the fault with the cable had occurred two days before Mr Oates’ death but went undetected.
Jeffery Fisher, from the Health and Safety Executive, told the coroner the company acted appropriately.
He said the incident was “a very unique set of circumstances, but unlikely, and unforeseeable.”
A spokesperson for Electricity North West told ITV News: “Our heartfelt sympathies remain with Harry Oates’ family at this time.
“This was a tragic incident which both the coroner and Health and Safety Executive noted involved a rare and complex sequence of events that were unforeseeable.
“Safety is our number one value, and we will continue to work with other distribution network operators and the industry trade body, ENA, on learnings from this immensely sad accident.”
