Wiltshire electrocuted window cleaner ‘incredibly powerful’

A window cleaner who survived a 33,000-volt shock at work is facing “massive” surgery to save both his legs.

Jason Knight, 34, from Westbury in Wiltshire, was left with serious injuries when an electric current jumped from an overhead power cable to his cleaning pole while he was cleaning a customer’s windows on April 6.

He was airlifted to Southmead Hospital, where he has remained since, undergoing at least 20 operations.

His father John Knight, 58, told BBC Radio Wiltshire that his son had “a lot of fight in him” and was focused on being able to return home to his family.

“Jason is incredibly strong,” Mr Knight said.

“He’s stronger than me, he’s stronger than a lot of people mentally.

“He will do everything he can, he said, to finally get home and see his children.”

Father-of-three Jason, who had run his own window cleaning business for two years at the time of the incident, was “catapulted” through the air when the deadly current jumped a cable above a customer’s garden.

The force of the shock was so great, his shoe prints were scorched into the grass, leaving him with horrific injuries to his legs and feet.

While in the hospital, his father explained, Jason had allergic reactions to the anesthetic, which complicated the planned surgeries.

He now faces a huge operation where doctors hope to rebuild his legs.

Jason lost his left forearm in the incident, as well as a number of toes and a significant portion of both legs.

He also lost the muscles and tendons that control the movement of his legs and feet.

If the upcoming surgery proves unsuccessful, Jason faces having both legs amputated from the knees down.

Mr Knight told Radio Wiltshire that the first part of Jason’s treatment was particularly difficult because the electrocution continued to “kill the body” even after the initial shock.

“The first 14 days were terrifying because we didn’t know if Jason was going to live or die,” he said.

“Now we know he’s going to live but he’s lost his left arm and he’s fighting so hard at Southmead Hospital, these surgeons, to save his legs.

“We all know he’s never going to run again, but I think he just wants that independence.”

As Jason faces months of recovery in the hospital, a huge community effort has sprung up to support him and his family through his rehabilitation.

A fundraiser to support him and two of the charities that helped save his life – Southmead Hospital Charity and Wiltshire Air Ambulance – has already raised almost £30,000.