Farmer killed by fallen powerlines

A Canterbury man is dead and his wife is in a serious condition after they both received electric shocks from fallen powerlines this morning.

Police Southern Communications inspector Paul Fremaux said the 39-year-old man was killed about 10.30am on his farm in the Hurunui District.

Culverden and Kaikoura emergency services attended the scene, and a Westpac Rescue Helicopter transported the woman to Christchurch Hospital in a serious condition.

Garden City Helicopter operations manager Stuart Farquhar said the couple's seven-year-old boy raised the alarm.

"He ran home and rang his grandmother, who rang a neighbour who has rung the ambulance. It's absolutely horrible."

When the helicopter arrived, the woman was in the ambulance and had suffered burns to her body, he said.

"She was semi-conscious but wasn't good."

Her husband was dead, and lying nearby were three dead cows, he said.

The sequence of events was unknown at this stage, he said.

The wires weren't touching the ground but they were dropping low between the poles, he said.

Police said they would were contacting the next of kin and the man's name would not be released today.

- © Fairfax NZ News