A FARMER who was trapped in his tractor by a 50,000-volt power cable was saved – by his wellies.

Simon Mabin, 24, was ploughing a field on the family's 170-acre farm when the overhead pylon collapsed and landed on the vehicle's roof.

Sparks flew through the air and the tyres exploded as more than 50,000 volts were sent coursing through the Case MXM 155 tractor.

The huge charge powered into Mr Mabin's body but miraculously he survived because his rubber boots stopped the current from being grounded.

Father-of-two Mr Mabin was trapped in the electrified cab and unsure what to do, so he used his mobile phone to call his mother.

She warned the power company but terrified Mr Mabin then decided to try to escape – and jumped out of the tractor.

Luckily he landed clear and although he was not seriously injured, he suffered a bad headache, raised blood pressure and heart rate.

Power officials later said Mr Mabin's life had been saved because his rubber Wellington boots had stopped the charge from being grounded. Mr Mabin, from Buckfastleigh, South Devon, said: "I heard a mighty crash and saw sparks flying. There was smoke pouring from the tractor and there was fizzing and buzzing.

"I thought at first that I couldn't get out so I rang mum and told her to ring the power company to get them to turn it off.

"But I had a tingling and warmth below my knees and I realised that I had to go, so I jumped out. I didn't think about it too much and leapt as far as I could.

"If I it wasn't for my boots, I don't know where I'd be. I've been wearing rubber boots all my life – I never thought one day they would actually save me."

A spokesman for the South Western Ambulance Service said the thick rubber sole had ensured Mr Mabin suffered only minor injuries. Officials at Western Power are investigating the fallen power line which blacked out more than 400 homes at noon on Tuesday.

Mr Mabin's mother Jenny said: "He had a headache and raised blood pressure and heart rate.

"But with 50,000 volts going through him, the engineers said it was lucky they hadn't found him in a molten heap on the floor."