Swimming Pool Electrocutions: Two In Critical Condition After Two Separate Tragedies

Two separate swimming pool electrocutions over the weekend are bringing attention to a summer safety risk. In the United States, Memorial Day is the unofficial start of summer. In many communities, it’s the day that outdoor swimming pools open for the season, and in most cases, by Memorial Day, school kids are on summer vacation and looking for outdoor activities to fill their time. That’s why experts are using the weekend’s tragedies to remind people about being safe around pools and electricity.

As ABC News reports, two people are currently in critical condition due to swimming pool electrocutions. This is a very unusual scenario, considering the rarity of swimming pool electrocutions and the fact that these were two separate incidents that took place in two different states. The critically injured are an 8-year-old Pennsylvania girl and a 34-year-old New Jersey man. Both of the victims suffered electrocutions in outdoor swimming pools.

The unidentified 34-year-old man was reportedly electrocuted when he swam in a hotel swimming pool. The man was swimming in the Aztec Motel’s swimming pool in Wildwood Crest, New Jersey when he was injured, says Detective Sergeant Edward Gorski. Gorski is employed by the Wildwood Crest PD, and he says that the victim of the hotel swimming pool electrocution is still in critical condition.

The man was found unconscious at the bottom of the pool, according to a police department statement. The victim is reportedly from Fairlawn, New Jersey, and according to authorities, they don’t yet know the cause of the electrocution, but the situation is being investigated at this time.

The owner of the motel says that his establishment has never had anything like this happen before. According to Adamo Pipitone, he and his staff are trying to determine the cause of the swimming pool electrocution. He also told the media that the victim is in his prayers.

On Sunday afternoon, an 8-year-old girl was electrocuted in a backyard pool in Silver Spring Township, Pennsylvania. According to local police, she was playing in the swimming pool with seven other children. Reportedly, one of the kids decided to flip the pool light switch, and that’s when the electrocution appeared to have occurred. Local police Sergeant Jared Huff told the media that the exact cause of the pool electrocution is still being investigated, but it is believed that the light switch may have been the cause.

The unidentified 8-year-old girl was the only one of the eight children in the swimming pool that was unable to get out. Her electrocution injuries were so severe that she had to be airlifted to Hershey Medical Center. Reportedly, she is still hospitalized in the intensive care unit at the hospital and remains in critical condition as a result of her electrocution.

While swimming pool electrocutions do happen, authorities involved in both investigations want to reassure the public that they are very rare events. It is almost unheard of to see two unrelated swimming pool electrocutions take place in two days. According to Officer Gorski, who is working on the New Jersey case, he’d never seen a case where someone had been electrocuted in a swimming pool in his entire career.

However unlikely, it’s better to be safe than sorry. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says that if you believe someone in the water is experiencing an electrocution, you should immediately cut all electrical power to the swimming pool. The next step is to call 911 and wait for help to arrive. Do not attempt to enter the water, as that can result in more electrocutions.

If you are in the water and believe you are being shocked, you should try to get away from the source of the shock if you can identify it. You should also get out of the water if you can, avoiding the use of a metal ladder if possible.

If you own or operate a swimming pool, it’s imperative that you keep it properly maintained to avoid potential electrocutions.