Downed power line shocks 6-year-old Texas boy and his grandmother, leaving them with significant burns in ICU

A 6-year-old boy and his grandmother were sent to a Texas intensive care unit after they were severely burned by a downed power line, CBS affiliate KHOU reports. The mother of the boy said her son had burns on almost 20% of his body and that her mother suffered burns on more than half of her body. 

Morgan Winters told KHOU the incident happened in an RV park near Lake Conroe, about 50 miles north of Houston. She told the station that her mother, Charlotte Winters, had picked up Morgan's 6-year-old son Nathan Winters from camp on May 28 and took him back to her RV. They went to leave the RV park that evening after they lost power during a storm. 

As they were leaving, they saw a downed power line and stepped outside of the vehicle to warn a neighbor, and that's when they were struck by electricity, despite the station reporting they were not near the actual downed line. Both were sent to an intensive care unit in Houston. 

"It's a phone call that nobody every wants," Morgan Winters told KHOU. "Not only is it your parent, it's your child." 

She said that because it rained earlier in the day, it is believed the wet ground may have caused the electrocution. According to National Grid, downed wires may be live even if they aren't sparking, and it's recommended that people stay at least 30 feet away from one when it's seen. 

"Water is a natural conductor of electricity and a downed line in a puddle or flooded area can electrify it, creating a deadly hazard," National Grid says. "Even non-conducting materials like cloth or wood can conduct electricity when wet."

In a GoFundMe, Morgan Winters said Nathan suffered second-degree burns on 18% of his body, including his face. He underwent a skin graft surgery in which doctors took healthy skin from his left thigh to help the wounds heal on his left forearm and right shin, she said, adding he may have to go through a second graft surgery for additional injuries. 

As of Monday, Nathan was wheeling himself around the hospital room, his mom told KHOU.

Warning: Some viewers may find the below images of Nathan and Charlotte Winters distressing. 

Her 56-year-old mother, who she says is a supply manager at a nursing and hospice facility, suffered second- and third-degree burns on more than half of her body and was in critical condition when the GoFundMe was created over the weekend. On Tuesday, "doctors will be able to decide if she will need multiple toes and possibly a finger amputated," Morgan Winters said of her mother. 

"Doctors are expecting her to be in the Burn Unit for 2 + months before she can be moved to a normal recovery floor which will also be for several months," she added. "Charlotte will need to continue with physical therapy and other treatment most likely at a rehab facility before she can return home."

Despite the long path forward, Morgan Winters told KHOU that her mother and son are "both fighters." 

"They're both going to make it through one day at a time," she said. "...I know deep down it's going to be okay, even though it's going to be hard and challenging. I'm just very thankful that they're both alive."

In:
• Storm
• Texas
• Electrocution

Li Cohen

Li Cohen is a senior social media producer at CBS News. She previously wrote for amNewYork and The Seminole Tribune. She mainly covers climate, environmental and weather news.

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