Man Electrocuted in Pool After Jumping In to Save Daughter


Man Electrocuted in Pool After Jumping In to Save Daughter

A 43-year-old man was electrocuted in the Northern California area on Sunday after he jumped into the swimming pool to rescue his daughter who was in the pool and turning blue.

Marianne Favro of the NBC Bay Area news reported that James Tramel of Burlingame was electrocuted after jumping in to try to save his daughter. He died a short time later at the medical center. His daughter remains in critical condition; a 6-year-old boy, an 8-year-old girl and a 45-year old woman were all treated for related injuries, and released.

Investigators suspect faulty pool wiring sent electricity surging through the water.

Read the full story here.

Mike Holt's comment: Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of this terrible tragedy.

Just a couple of weeks ago we sent out a newsletter with a free PDF publication on the NEC rules governing Article 680 for Swimming Pools, Spas and Similar Installations (3.47KB). Click here (or on the book image) for the link to download and print the PDF, in case you missed it. I would encourage electrical contractors to make sure that they understand these requirements, and to use every opportunity to teach and educate others so that they keep safety a priority.

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Mike Holt Enterprises of Leesburg, Inc. 3604 Parkway Blvd. Suite 3 Leesburg, FL 34748

"... as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." [Joshua 24:15]

Comments

I don't understand how swimming in a pool is any different than a bird on a wire. Wouldn't he have to touch something grounded for current to flow thru him. If he did touch something grounded, it that the same ground that the water is already touching. Why is the current going to flow thru him?

Can someone explain pool electrocution to me?

Dan K April 1 2016, 9:11 am EDT

Reply from: Jon Rice April 1 2016, 5:12 pm EDT
Unlike salt water, fresh water is a poor conductor of electricity, however, some small amount of current does flow through freshwater when it becomes energized, back to he source through ground. This is usually not sufficient to trip an non gfi breaker. A person is a much better conductor than freshwater due to the salts in the tissue and iron in the blood, thus when they enter this electric field a greater amount of current (although still smal) will flow, even if they are not touching a grounded surface. This causes an electric field potential difference across the body. What kills people is that this difference in the electric field potential causes the body's muscles to seize. Typically, the end result is drowning, not electrocution.

Reply from: Mike Holt April 1 2016, 6:05 pm EDT
Exactly.

Reply from: dan April 4 2016, 9:25 am EDT
If the voltage was coming from a pool light in the deep end to the grounded pool drain, there would be a voltage gradient between the two in the deep end. If I swam in the shallow end then I would not experience the voltage gradient and therefore not get shocked. I my scenario, if I was treading water over the drain the gradient would be larger than if I swam over the drain.

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