Runner, 29, Dies in Freak Electrocution Accident, Found By His Father Only 3 Minutes From Home
A man who went on a run while home visiting his family died as a result of what has been ruled a “rare and complex sequence of events.”
On October 27, 2023, 29-year-old Harry Oates embarked on what was supposed to be a two-hour run starting at his parent’s home in Lonsdale, Cumbria.
Harry‘s dad, Malcolm Oates, became concerned as the hours passed by without his son returning.
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He told The Independent that there were reasonable explanations. However, he was worried after calling Harry, who did not answer the phone.
“After a while of him not answering, we thought he possibly dropped his phone, and he was backtracking on his run, looking for it, because it was still ringing. It was still active, but not being answered anyway,” he told the outlet.
Malcolm tracked his son’s phone and realized that it was only a three-minute drive from their home. He drove to the location, where he was horrified to discover his son’s body.
“As I got closer and closer, it started to dawn on me that it was Harry lying prone on the floor, face down. And as I got closer and closer, I could see there was an 11,000-volt cable across him,” he recalled to the outlet, saying, “That image of him there, is the last thing I see at night and the first thing I see in the morning when I wake up.”
In December 2025, coroner Kirsty Gomersal released a prevention of future deaths report, which determined that Harry “sustained injuries inconsistent with life” and died instantaneously.
Gomersal reported that the wire had dropped from its customary height on a power line due to a parts failure two days prior.
“This sequence of events was rare and complex. It lead to the conductor become low hanging yet remaining [energized],” she wrote, stating that no one was responsible for the death, though changes could be implemented to prevent future accidents.
Malcolm and the rest of Harry‘s family are still heartbroken, describing what happened as “the worst possible outcome” for their “kind” and “compassionate” son.