Girl, 11, Electrocuted While Playing Mini-Golf In Orlando

Ashton Jojo, an 11-year-old girl from New York was electrocuted at a time-share resort’s miniature golf course in Orlando, while trying to retrieve her ball from a 2-foot deep pond.

The Huffington Post reports that Orange County deputies said Ashton cried out in pain on Wednesday afternoon when she stepped into a small pond for her ball, and Orange Lake Resort guest Christopher Burges of Alabama heard the young girl’s cries, and was injured while attempting to rescue her.

Unfortunately, the girl died shortly after her arrival at Florida Hospital Celebration. Reuters reports that the resort released a statement about the incident, noting that a third guest was also injured. They added that:

“The miniature golf facility where the incident happened is closed and will not re-open until further notice. Our thoughts and prayers are with the guests, their families and friends during this time.”

While it is not clear how the pond became electrified, Reuters reports that a building-safety official pointed to a possible cause when they noticed a faulty pump had been hooked up to an improper circuit breaker.

The investigation is ongoing, but the girl’s family is expected to consider a wrongful death lawsuit, saying that negligence by the resort’s owner, and possibly its employees, lead to the death of Ashton Jojo.

A wrongful death attorney for the family may also consider a suit against those responsible for taking care of the pond the girl was electrocuted in to see if contractors were to blame, or if the resort was the at fault party who failed to follow safety regulations.

The Huffington Post reports that Ashton Jojo was visiting Orlando with her parents and brother after celebrating her birthday a week ago.

[Image courtesy of The New York Daily Times]