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13 · Friday, March 26, 2010 OAKVILLE BEAVER · www.oakvillebeaver.com LIVING EDITOR: ANGELA BLACKBUR 905-337-5560 Living Oakville Beaver Upscale Designer Decor l g You Can Live With at a Price ablackburn@oakvillebeaver.com CHARLESTON CHAIR ON SALE $799 SOFAS, SECTIONALS, LEATHER , , AND OCCASIONAL CHAIRS NIKKI WESLEY / OAKVILLE BEAVER TRUSTING TOUCH: Chris Mackrael received a shock that changed his life by turning on a light switch in his mom's unfinished garage last October. Here Mackrael is photographed at a similar switchplate. Youth gets life-changing charge in his own home n By Carlie Oreskovich SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER Chris Mackrael does not remember why he went to the garage. In fact, the 23-year-old doesn't remember much about what went on that day and for the six months of his life prior to going to the garage. He does know when he reached up and touched the light switch, he received an electric shock that significantly changed his life. While there is not much you can do about a lightning strike, at home you expect that you are safe and reasonably assured that if you turn on the television, toaster, oven or lights you won't be grilled. Not so. According to the Ontario Electrical Safety Report for 2009 conducted by the Electrical Safety Authority, most electrocutions in the province occur in residential facilities and most of them are due to "improper use of electrical devices or equipment or unsafe wiring installation." When Chris reached up to the light switch in the garage of his mother's southwest Oakville home, he believes his hand might have gone through a crack in the casing and touched the wires. It did not help that his feet were bare and the ground was wet. "I remember I had some difficulty letting go. I was somewhat shocked, but I did not know what was going on," said Chris. "I've had shocks before, but this was much stronger and a lot more painful." He said his muscles felt like they were being torn and that he had a strong sensation of pins-and-needle tingling through his body. When he stumbled and slumped to his knees, he broke the circuit. Chris told his mother, Lin, that he felt like he had been hit in the head by a 2x4. After checking with Telehealth Ontario, Lin, who is an investment manager, decided to take him to Oakville-Trafalgar Memorial Hospital (OTMH) since there was some concern of possible damage to his heart. See Shock page 18 MAIN LOCATION 1029 Speers Rd. Oakville (showroom at Speers & 4th line) CHILDREN'S STORE Bronte Village 905.842.3739 w w w. j o s h u a c r e e k f u r n i t u r e . c o m 905.469.9876