Chicago festival-goers risk lives for selfies on electrified train tracks

In an era where selfie culture is prevalent, there have been increasing instances of individuals being drawn to capture images in hazardous situations. A recent case emerged in Oak Park, Chicago, USA at the Ridgeland Green Line station on August 5, around 7.30pm. Three festival-goers decided to pose on electrified train tracks risking their lives for a photograph.

One of the trio came into contact with the electrified train tracks and was then seen reaching out to touch a female companion, consequently subjecting her to electrocution as well. Footage of the shocking incident was posted on Twitter showing the three teenagers stationed on the train tracks. The video showed the young man on the right-hand side of the screen touching the rail and within seconds, he convulses and then reaches out to the female next to him seeking assistance thus causing her to convulse and almost collapse on the train track.

Subsequently, the other male member of the group grabs the young woman’s hand to lift her and tries to assist her to sit upright, before turning to aid his other companion. Unfortunately, his efforts proved to be in vain when the young woman lost her balance and fell, repeating the earlier incident but dragging her friend into the electrocution chain.

A spokesperson for the Oak Park Fire Department disclosed that all three who were subjected to electrocution were part of a cohort who were en route to Chicago for the Lollapalooza music festival. Other members of the group were ultimately able to help them off the rail tracks. One of the males became unconscious with a non-functioning heart and was urgently transported to the Loyola University Medical Center for life-saving treatment, reported Sanook.

Reports on Sunday, August 13 confirmed that the injured male remained in critical condition. On the contrary, his female companion regained consciousness when emergency services arrived on the scene. However, she was also admitted to the hospital for a detailed body check-up.

According to data from the Chicago Transit Authority, their rail system operates with a 600-volt direct current. While humans can occasionally endure exposure to high voltage transiently, there have been unfortunate incidents of deaths occurring with even as low as 42 volts of electricity.