A TEENAGER who 'died' for seven minutes after she was electrocuted running across the tracks at Bournemouth railway station said she wants others to 'learn from her mistake'.

Tegan Stapleton, 16, was visiting the town the day after her prom when she was hurt trying to reach her friend on the opposite platform. She went into cardiac arrest and suffered third-degree burns over ten per cent of her body when she fell onto the live electrical conductor rail, which powers trains.

The teen was in hospital for five months after the accident. She is still awaiting further surgery.

A year on, Tegan and her mum Sasha Mullings are telling their story to warn young people of the consequences of trespassing on the railway.

Sasha said: "She's definitely lucky to be here.

"That day will never leave my mind. She was in an induced coma and was in and out of surgery – we didn’t know what kind of lifelong injuries she would have."

During the incident, electricity passed through Tegan's left arm, crossed her heart and went through her right arm. Her heart stopped beating for seven minutes.

Quick-thinking staff from South Western Railway pulled Tegan away from the tracks and resuscitated her on the platform.

"She had to learn how to walk again, how to eat, she couldn’t really talk and she had to learn how to do everything with her left hand," Sasha said.

“It doesn’t just impact you. One small thought could save the pain that you can put yourself and your family through.”

Tegan said: “Being in intensive care was the hardest thing I’ve ever been through. I’d just always think that nobody was going to love me the way they did before and that I’d never be like the old me again.

"I want to get the message out there that the dangers on the railway aren't always obvious, like the conductor rail and trip hazards. I want people to learn from my mistake.”

The teenager is now planning to study psychology at college and hopes to turn her ordeal into a positive by using her experience to help people who have suffered severe burns.

Network Rail’s Wessex route has a dedicated community safety team which has delivered rail safety sessions to more than 30,000 young people in the past year across the region.

David Smith, director of safety for Network Rail’s Wessex route, said: "I’d like to commend Tegan and Sasha for their bravery in working with us to share their story and raise awareness of the dangers present on the railway just one year on from this incident."