Miass man dies after electric shock, sought 10 million rubles
Alexander Koptelev suffered severe burns and lost part of his arm five years ago but did not give up.
In Miass (Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia), they said goodbye to 20-year-old Alexander Koptelev. He died in his sleep from cardiac arrest, his relatives told 74.RU. The exact cause of death will be known after a forensic examination. Alexander«s lawyer and his best friend Nikita Shlyakhtin believe that the tragedy is an echo of the terrible electric shock in 2020. Sasha spent several months in intensive care. He was in a coma and underwent complex operations. At that time, he managed to pull through, and he decided to demand 10 million rubles (approximately $100,000) from the energy company Rosseti. We spoke with Nikita, who also received an electric shock and is demanding compensation from Rosseti, and with the lawyer — about what will happen with the case after Alexander»s death.
“Complained of fatigue, low blood pressure”
Five years ago, fishing turned into severe burns and amputation of part of his arm for 15-year-old Alexander Koptelev. While under a power line, he decided to untangle the fishing line with a float. He raised the fishing rod and received a shock of a hundred thousand volts. His friend Nikita Shlyakhtin lost consciousness for a while but quickly came to and ran with burning feet to seek help. Then there were months of fighting for his life. Many were surprised that after 70% body burns, Sasha was able not only to walk but also to enroll in studies, work, and dream of a new car. He masked the scars reminding of the terrible past with tattoos.
We met with Alexander and Nikita in Miass at the beginning of this year. At that time, the process to recover 10 million rubles (approximately $100,000) from the energy company had just begun but did not promise to be easy. “Rosseti” denied their guilt, pointing to safety violations by the fishermen.
In the summer, the guys received diplomas from the local technical college and got jobs with acquaintances, helping them on construction sites. In their free time, they engaged in their favorite pastime — cars (with age, interest in fishing faded a bit). Sasha fulfilled his long-standing dream and bought a “Honda”.
“He didn’t have any particular health complaints. Everything was as usual,” Nikita Shlyakhtin said. “We went to work for a few hours a day, then each did their own things. Sasha worked on his car. At the beginning of October, he started feeling unwell. He complained of fatigue, low blood pressure. He could just fall asleep during a conversation.”
Sasha constantly postponed seeing a doctor — at first glance, the health problems seemed minor. In the plans for treating the consequences of the electric shock, there was only scar removal, his friend says.
“On the last day, we finished work, he even said he would go for a walk in the evening. But at home, he immediately fell asleep, and at around 1 a.m. on October 26, his heart stopped,” Nikita Shlyakhtin said.
Nikita and Sasha are shown near the power line where the accident occurred, with high wires that may appear safe.
“The amounts will be very, very modest”
Lawyer Sergei Gavryushkin says that after the death of the main plaintiff, the case for recovering moral damages is subject to closure. Because there is simply no one to receive it. Relatives are now awaiting the results of the forensic examination, which will determine the further course of action.
“Logically: if these events hadn’t happened, he probably wouldn’t have died. The examination must establish a causal connection between the occurrence of death and the harm caused. And if such a connection is established, then relatives can file a claim for compensation of moral damages,” Sergei Gavryushkin reasons. “But in favor of the victim himself, we could recover substantial sums, we explained this with the purchase of an expensive prosthesis, and that the young man himself endured very difficult trials. Whereas for the parents, the amounts will be very, very modest.”
Another possible development is the initiation of a criminal case under the article “Infliction of grave harm resulting in death.” The lawyer intends to try to achieve this decision.
“This is a grave crime. The statute of limitations for grave crimes is 10 years. So we have time for this. It’s clear that before this, there was a refusal to initiate a criminal case, the investigator presented simply ridiculous documents on the case — he arrived there several months after the incident, measured somehow with a tape measure and wrote that there was no sagging of the wires,” the lawyer believes. “Whereas the very first engineer who arrived there established this sagging.”
