Train-surfing boy, 13, in serious condition after being electrocuted twice on carriage in Brazil

The train-surfing trend almost claimed another life when a 13-year-old boy in Brazil survived being electrocuted twice after performing the dangerous stunt.

Much like the popular online game Subway Surfer, the trend involves people moving around on top of travelling trains. 

While it may look easy in the game, it has claimed its share of lives over the years and almost killed a boy in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro on Nov 18.

In a video circulating on social media, a boy is seen lying on top of a stationary train – presumably after being electrocuted by a live wire – at Anchieta Station. He is not moving, and his legs are seen dangling off the side of the train.

The footage shows a man at the station platform climbing onto the roof of the train, possibly in the hope of moving the boy to safety, but accidentally causing the boy to be electrocuted a second time. 

While the man manages to shift the boy slightly, the movement sparks a bright orange-white flash and a sizzling sound, prompting panic among passengers at the station. 

The man then abandons his mission and jumps back down to the platform. 

According to a New York Post report, the victim was eventually rescued and taken to Albert Schweitzer Municipal Hospital in the Realengo area of Rio de Janeiro. 

He was reported to be in a serious condition on Nov 19. 

Brazilian train company SuperVia, which operates the rail network, warned the public against attempting the dangerous surfing trend. 

“These actions, in addition to being irresponsible, compromise the safety of all passengers and impact the proper functioning of the railway operation,” SuperVia reportedly said. 

“It is essential that everyone, passengers and pedestrians, collaborate, respecting safety rules, and that society as a whole mobilises to avoid tragedies and eradicate this dangerous practice.” 

It also advised passengers against “touching or attempting to remove equipment” because of the high voltage of electricity involved.

In New York, the train-surfer trend has in 2024 claimed six lives and led to the arrests of 181 people as at Oct 27, CNN reported, citing data provided by the New York Police Department. The deaths and arrests have outpaced 2023’s five deaths and 118 arrests, according to the CNN report.

In the most recent case, a 13-year-old girl was killed in Queens, New York, on Oct 27 after she lost her balance and fell between train cars. Her 12-year-old friend who was with her also fell off the train and injured her head. 

City officials said that while the trend has existed for decades, social media has contributed to its recent rise, reported the Queens Daily Eagle. 

To dissuade people from joining the trend, the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority created a campaign called “Subway Surfing Kills – Ride Inside, Stay Alive” to reach out to school students and superintendents.