Mark Bradley, 50, was struck by a reported 11,000-volt shock when a metal lamppost he was installing hit overhead power cables, the Mirror has reported.

Ade Savage desperately tried to free him by pulling and punching him – but suffered shocks himself.

So he grabbed the plank and hit Mark until he broke the grip of the current.

Wood is an insulator of electricity, meaning electrical current does not pass through it so Ade was no longer affected by the electric shock.

Mark, a dad of one, from Gosport, Hants, was taken to hospital with burns to his face and arms and blood coming from his ears.

He is being transferred to a specialist burns unit in Swansea.

Mark’s brother Michael paid tribute to Ade, saying: “The man is a hero. He saved my brother’s life.”

Ade was also treated for burns after the accident at a Network Rail site in ­Basingstoke. An ­investigation is being carried out.

BAM Construction said: “We can confirm there was an accident on our Basingstoke site late on Monday afternoon, where we are working for Network Rail.

“We deeply regret that this has happened, and our thoughts are with those affected.”