In towns, cities and large villages, the era of outdoor television antennas is long past, but in far flung, small, rural communities where there is no cable, antennas are an essential and the rule of thumb always applies, the higher, the better.
But On Friday night in Estrella Village in the Corozal district one antenna was too high, and too close to the power lines. Three females were positioning it and one woman was electrocuted, while her teenaged niece and a friend received serious burns when the antenna came too close to the power line.
Monica Bodden went north looking for the story.
Monica Bodden, Reporting
It was in front of this yard where 41 year old Leticia Vidal was electrocuted while her 14 year old niece and friend 36 year old Rosaura Mai received serious shock related burns.
It happened in Estrella Village in the Corozal District around 5:30 Friday evening.
The three females were trying to stabilize this 38 foot galvanized pipe for a television antenna - when it made contact with this high tension wire sending 6, 600 volts of electricity coursing through their bodies.
Isiah Budna, Witness
"According to the little young girl, she say that they were watching TV, but the reception was poor, they decided to put the antenna a little higher on a cement block."
Budna was one of the first on the scene to assist.
Isiah Budna, Witness
"When I ran across there I saw Ms. Leticia on top of her niece Damari at the door walkway. Then the next young lady who we call Rosaura is laying down on the cement and the little girl who is spending vacation is crying over my sisters. They told me that they had pick her up from across the road, it seems like when the electricity hit her it flew her across the road."
He tried removing the antenna with a stick - off the high tension wire - but that was futile.
Isiah Budna, Witness
"I ran back to get a line stick, i check it to see if it was dry, then I use it to remove the antenna that was touching the high tension wires."
At that time no one could have assisted the three females -until the power went out in the area.
Isiah Budna, Witness
"The BEL guy told me and the others to keep away 30 feet from where the incident happens. We wait until they came, they cut off the power and the police came and took the body."
Monica Bodden
"At that time Ms. Leticia had already die?"
Isiah Budna, Witness
"Well to me yes. When I came on the scene I saw her move a little, that was the last time I saw her move. She had drop on top of the pipe so she got the full voltage of the electricity."
Leticia Vidal received massive burns over her entire body and was pronounced dead on arrival at the Corozal Community Hospital.
Today friends and relatives gathered at Libertad Full Gospel Church of God where Vidal was a pastor to remember her and grieve for this unthinkable end. Busses left the village for her family's home in Roaring creek where she was buried.
Isiah Budna, Witness
"Maybe they weren't thinking that they were putting themselves in danger. They were just putting the antenna on the cement block to get a better TV reception. All of us are one in this village, our village is small."
Monica Bodden
"To actually witness something so tragic, how does it feel right now?"
Isiah Budna, Witness
"I still have a headache from the time this thing happen. To witness something like that and you want to help but you can't help."
Monica Bodden
"There is nothing nobody could have done."
Isiah Budna, Witness
"The only thing that could have been done is for the BEL man to come and cut off the power so we could have saved her."
