Tragedy for family of 5-year-old boy

A five-year-old boy from Pretoria was electrocuted by a jumping castle’s power generator at the Stonehaven-on-Vaal resort near Vanderbijlpark, Beeld reported on Monday.

Ruan Schlebusch and his cousin Cheverne, 7, were chasing each other around the jumping castle when he fell into a rose bush.

As he tried to pull himself up by grabbing the power lever on the jumping castle, he was electrocuted.  

His cousin tried to help him, but she was also electrocuted, after which the generator fell over and landed on the children’s legs.

Adults were alerted, and they managed to extricate Cheverne before the power supply was turned off at the wall.

A doctor who happened to be in the vicinity began emergency first aid procedures on Ruan, and paramedics later took over, but he was declared dead at the scene.

Cheverne, who had sustained electrical burns on her legs and tongue, also received emergency treatment.

Rex Anderson, owner of Stonehaven-on-Vaal, said everyone at the resort was deeply upset by the tragedy.

“It’s the first time in 18 years that anything like this has happened. Our deepest sympathies to the family.” 

Police said a judicial inquiry into the cause of death would be held.