Foreigner Nearly Killed by Dangling Cable in Bali

A video is gaining traction on social media in which an injured foreigner shows deep cuts on his neck and a bandaged finger.

The footage, with his candid account of how an ordinary scooter ride almost ended in tragedy, set off a storm of comments.

“Looks like I tried to hang myself, doesn’t it? They had cables hanging down overhead, and one of them wrapped around my neck while I was riding my bike. If I hadn’t got my thumb in there to stop it, it would have taken my head off,” — in the first moments after the incident, the emotions of the man filming are running at full tilt.

In the clip he also shows two employees of a telecoms company who, in his view, nearly caused a tragedy.

The incident happened in the centre of Canggu, in Berawa. Technicians working for the provider were carrying out installation work and had set up a ladder by the road. As he rode around the stepladder, the man caught a wire that was hanging at a dangerously low height. Only his instant reaction saved him from fatal consequences: the foreigner managed to slip his thumb between his neck and the tightening cable.

Later, after receiving first aid, he added:

“I’ve calmed down a bit now, but this is the result of a cable just hanging in the middle of the road. My thumb was nearly ripped off, because I got it up to my throat really fast to stop the wire.”

In the comments under the post, representatives of the internet provider Global Extreme, whose staff appear in the footage, issued an official apology. The company said it has already revised safety standards for its field crews, covered the medical costs, paid for the repair of the motorbike and is carrying out an internal review.

The author of the clip, however, was not satisfied with the response. He said he had contacted the provider a week earlier and tried to sort the matter out without a public scandal. According to him, his complaint was ignored for a whole week, and management only reacted after he posted the video of the incident on social media.

Sagging and tangled wires are a fairly common sight on the island. That is why riders need to be extremely attentive on the road: always slow down if you see stepladders set up, road signs warning of repair work, or workers running cables.

Be extra careful after bad weather, too. Gusts of wind and falling branches often bring down power lines and internet cables, leaving them hanging unnoticed over the roadway.

Sources: geordie.inbali