Today in History - February 18: Bunch of grapes knocks TV reporter unconscious

A Brazilian television presenter was knocked unconscious on live TV after touching a bunch of grapes on February 18, 1996.

Lasier Martins was doing a live cross from Caxias do Sul's Grape Festival when he touched a bunch of grapes hanging from a case.

Martins immediately howled in pain before falling hard onto his back.

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Perhaps not realising what had happened, the presenter of Jornal do Almoco smiled at the camera before throwing to an ad break.

Martins had suffered a 220-volt electric shock from touching the grapes due to an unfortunate series of events.

The grapes were being kept in a metal case behind a glass panel.

But because of the way the lights were reflecting on the glass, the television show had it removed before the broadcast.

Nobody had realised a live wire was pumping electricity through the metal case, and then through the grapes.

While it may not seem intuitive, grapes, like most organic matter, is capable of conducting electricity.

Martins broke a rib in the fall and ended up hospitalised after being unconscious for several seconds.

But he was lucky to have fallen backwards as a result of the shock.

Had he fallen forward, he could have been killed if he touched the electric cable.

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The video had a second lease of life after it was uploaded to YouTube, much to Martins' chagrin.

"That was one of the most regrettable and painful situations I've ever experienced," he said.

"Both the shock and the YouTube video.

"I have never watched the video and I don't want to relive that, because it was a very violent shock."

But the video did not harm his political ambitions. Martins would go on to be elected to the Federal Senate in 2014.

He served one term before leaving office in 2023.

Martins did not consider the video a laughing matter.

When a young man mockingly pretended to be electrocuted as he shook Martins' hand, the politician filed a police report.

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