Another Electric Shock Drowning!

Don’t be tempted to jump into the water near a boat dock that has electric power!

Everyone

I know it’s hot outside, but don’t be tempted to jump into the water near a boat dock that has electric power. ESD (Electric Shock Drowning) injures or claims the lives of dozens of swimmers or workers every year in the USA alone, many of them very young.

Why does ESD happen?

A boat or dock that’s connected to shore power can produce an electrical gradient current in fresh water that reaches out dozens of feet. And if you swim into this gradient, your arms and legs will become paralyzed and cause you to sink and drown. So basically you sink and drown a dozen feet away from the dock. Plus anyone who jumps in trying to save you can also become unable to swim and may drown.

If you do get close enough to the boat or dock to make direct with the electrified conductor, you’ll then receive a high-current shock that can put your heart into fibrillation, and you’ll immediately loose consciousness and quickly drown.

Read my in-depth article on why Electric Shock Drowning occurs and how to save someone from it HERE.

18-year-old electrocuted, dies, after jumping into Virginia lake:

Read the full USA Today article on this Electric Shock Drowning by Saman Shafiq HERE.

An 18-year-old man was killed while two others were injured after they jumped into a lake with electric current in the water over the Fourth of July holiday weekend, WABJ reported.

Jesse Hamric, 18, was visiting Smith Mountain Lake in Virginia with his family and friends from Colorado where he dived into the lake waters around 4 a.m. Thursday and was killed by the presence of stray voltage in the lake, Bedford County Sheriff's Office said, according to WABJ.

Upon seeing him in distress, two others jumped into the water to help save him, where they immediately felt shocked. However, they were able to come out of the waters and were walking around when authorities arrived on scene, WABJ reported.

All three were transported to a local hospital, where Hamric was pronounced deceased and the other two were reported to have sustained injuries, according to the local media outlet.

Stray voltage caused current

Deputies said that a stray voltage at a dock caused the electrocution, WABJ reported, adding that the fireboat crew tested the water and confirmed the presence of electric currents in it. The dock is located at a private residence and the homeowner has been notified, as per the media outlet.

Smith Mountain Lake Marine Fire and Rescue Chief Todd Ohlerich told USA TODAY that the department's shock alert tester found voltage in the water.

Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com.

Let’s play safe out there… Mike