DETROIT – A Detroit student is in critical condition after being shocked by a downed wire Monday morning.
Detroit police had initially said Monday morning that the 14-year-old boy, Malik, had been killed, but later clarified that he was taken to the hospital with a faint pulse and was able to be revived.
Malik was on Lyndon near Lauder walking to Burns Middle School with three other boys when he picked up the wire.
Police said the teen's friends jumped into action and were able to use a piece of wood to break the teen's hand away from the wire -- possibly saving his life.
Malik's friends said he was convulsing from the current.
"That's when he was holding on, and I took the stick and I hit the wire and he let it go," said the boy's friend, Carlos Morgan.
The school principal was on his way to put out warning cones around the wire when he spotted the boy on the ground.
"I just seen the little boy flop in the air, about six or seven feet in the air," said witness Darius Dawson. "Then he was laying on the ground and they were working on him, CPR."
Firefighters warned those around the boy not to touch him, fearing he was still laying on the wire.
"I said, 'No, that's my baby.' So I pulled him from under the wire and began CPR," said Burns Middle School Principal Terry Richardson.
Creola George said she called about the wire earlier in the morning.
"I think it was six, I called it in and told them to come because it was in a school zone," George said.
Now, mothers of the boys are furious the line that was so close to the school was unprotected and unmarked.
DTE had 400 safety crew on duty, and they are now investigating why the wire was uncovered.
"The school was shut down because it had no power. It's a shame that word did not get out to parents."
The school is working with DTE to bring in a team to hold a safety seminar to prevent future incidents like this from happening. They will be bringing in counselors Tuesday to give help to children who need it.
Neighbors in the area told Local 4 there were several wires that went down Sunday when strong storms moved through the area and they had called 911 to report them.
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