Tourist sues St James's Park after electric shock

A tourist reportedly suffered a heart attack after receiving an electric shock while taking a photo in St James's Park, London, her family claims.

Anastasija Grigorjeva, 21, is said to have been shocked by a loose wire when she stepped on a metal grate in the park. The incident, which occurred in July, left her unconscious, and she collapsed after suffering a heart attack. Paramedics revived her, but she was left with severe brain injury, memory loss for several months, and nerve damage in her foot, according to her relatives.

Ms. Grigorjeva, a physiotherapy student from Latvia, is now pursuing legal action against the Royal Parks charity, which manages St James's Park.

She had been visiting her sister, Snezana, 27, who lives in London. The two stopped to take a photo near a metal grate after dark. Snezana explained, "We had just given her a Polaroid camera for her birthday, and she wanted to take a picture of the lit-up grate. Suddenly, I heard her whimper and turned around to see her passed out on the ground, her foot still in the grate. At first, I thought she might have broken her foot, but she wasn't making any noise. If she had broken it, she would have been screaming in pain."

Snezana then described how she felt a tingling sensation in her hand when she touched her sister and quickly realized she was being electrocuted. Police and paramedics arrived soon after and were able to restart Ms. Grigorjeva's heart. She was rushed to the hospital, where she spent three weeks in intensive care.

Snezana, who is now acting on her sister's behalf in the legal case due to Anastasija's memory issues, said, "My sister still has memory loss and can't remember anything from May to July. Some days, she forgets what happened the previous day or earlier that morning. It has a huge impact on her life. She also struggles with her foot, as she can't bend it properly, which frustrates her because it affects her ability to walk."

Her lawyer stated, "Doctors have said that she was fortunate to survive the shock. Her family is understandably upset that this happened." She added, "We urge Royal Parks to take responsibility so my client can begin the process of recovering and rebuilding her life."

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) conducted an investigation into the incident but chose not to pursue criminal charges. A spokesperson for Royal Parks commented, "We are deeply sorry for the incident in St James's Park in July 2024, which resulted in a woman being injured. Our thoughts are with her. The HSE was notified, and they have completed their investigation with our full cooperation. No further action will be taken."

Broadgate Legal

London Injury Solicitors