Howick and pakuranga times july 21 2016

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Est. 1972

Fox off to Rio Page 24

A NAME YOU CAN TRUST! Thursday, July 21, 2016

Vol 45, No 28

General 271 8000 ■ Classified 271 8055 ■ Delivery Enquiries 271 8014 ■ Website www.times.co.nz

Kelly Flavell Law

Assisting In Your Success

Birds on show

Buying & Selling Your Investment Property Tel (09) 535 2150

– see page 18

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Eric Koh is on fire selling East Auckland. Eric Koh AREINZ M: 021 388 383

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Direct Freephone: 09 929 4433 E: e.koh@barfoot.co.nz www.barfoot.co.nz

Photos Wayne Martin

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Lightning strikes

What? No bus stop?

By SCOTT YEOMAN

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INSIDE Howick Village ............... P7 Feedback .........................P13 What’s On .......................P15 Our Homes Today ...P16,17 Classified ..................P19-23 Sport ............................P6,24 Join us on facebook TimesOnlineNZ Keep up to date with news on TimesLive at www.times.co.nz

I

t’s not the kind of news you want, or expect, to get at work. But just after 4pm last Friday afternoon, Clevedon’s Richard Sumner picked up the phone and heard every homeowner’s worst nightmare. “I was at the office and I got a phone call to say that the house had been struck by lightning,” he told the Times this week. He later found out that lightning had actually struck two pine trees on his driveway on McGregor Rd stripping bark – before the power surge arced across to a fence, onto power lines and then into his house, blowing the fuses on the power supply. The surge then went to the

under floor heating in his bathroom, blowing that and a ceramic tile off the floor, which shattered and hit the roof – putting a hole in it. The induction hob in the kitchen also blew. Mr Sumner said he was told by his family that were home at the time that “it was like a huge bang in the house”. It gave his wife and nephew “a real fright”, he said, and it was very lucky that no one was in the bathroom at the time. “Realistically, we got off pretty lightly.” The Fire Service and power company were called to investigate for any sign or risk of fire and after the all clear was given, power was turned back on a couple of hours later.

BOOM: The damage to the tiles on Richard Sumner’s bathroom floor. Photo Supplied Richard Sumner

Mr Sumner said his next-door neighbours, on the same power supply, also had damage to their house from the lightning and power surge, including blown light bulbs and a clock falling off a wall. Meanwhile, at the same time on Friday, about 100 metres down the road, Amanda Trayes was reporting a similar experience. She told the Times that a flash of light came through her skylight in front of her. “I was on my phone at the time and my friend swore loudly when it happened. The hairs on the front of my legs stood up and my legs were tingly after. I got an instant headache and saw spots for several hours after.” “Near miss perhaps,” she said.

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