Mike Holt Enterprises Electrical News Source

Six-year old girl brain-damaged after shock from pool handrail

A 6-year-old girl has been left severely brain-damaged after being shocked touching an illuminated handrail at a DC-area resort - she can no longer walk or talk.

The New York Post reports that she went into cardiac arrest after 120 volts of electricity (10 times the amount needed to power the handrail lighting) jolted through her body. It's reported that a security guard rushed to try to pull Zynae off the railing and was also shocked, and so was her mother. Her family is now suing MGM, who they say haven't helped with any of her medical costs.

County investigators determined that faulty wiring related to "major" electrical code violations caused the incident. The lawsuit says that the botched wiring resulted from MGM's rush job to open the 23-acre resort in 2016 following the legalization of gambling in Maryland.

An MGM spokeswoman, in a statement to The Post, blamed the contractor it hired to do the electrical work.

Zynae suffered anoxic brain damage caused by a lack of oxygen. She remains in a semi-vegetative state, breathing on her own but only able to follow movement in the room with her eyes, the family's lawyer told the newspaper. Our hearts go out to her and her family, as they struggle and pray for a miracle.

Comments
  • Truly a shame and I'm sure everyone's harts go out to this family. As a contractor and former state Electrical Inspector, I must opin on this one.. This is very serious and why we have code enforcement. If this horrible situation isn't a result of mechanical or material failure then it falls to the AHJ and the project contractor and engineer. If there were permits pulled and inspections were performed, One thing is for sure, the customer isn't at fault no matter how fast they wanted to open... If inspections were performed and no work ( non permitted ), was done since the final/close out inpection was performed and it was not built to the engineering specifications..... This would fall on the AHJ! On the other hand, if the project was engineered incorrectly, and built to the specs, this could go back to plan review and the AHJ...who was watching the project??? Just a shame... This is s great reason for all electricians to pay attention to what we are doing and look over each other's work...someone should of caught this. We are on the front lines! It's about life safety at all times!

    Keith McKivergan  November 28 2018, 4:01 am EST

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