In what authorities are calling a rare situation, two Missouri children died of electrical shock Wednesday while swimming off a private dock at Lake of the Ozarks.

Nearby adults tried to quickly rescue the children but pulled back when they felt electrical current in the water, said Sgt. Paul Reinsch, spokesman for the Missouri Highway Patrol's Troop F. After someone shut off power to the dock, the adults retrieved the children and began cardiopulmonary resuscitation, Reinsch said.

He identified the victims as Alexandra Anderson, 13, and her brother, Brayden Anderson, 8, of Ashland, Mo.

The incident happened about noon near the 6.5 mile marker in the lake's Gravois Arm.

Authorities were investigating the source of the electrical current. The dock's electricity powered lights and other items, including a pump that fed water down a slide the children had been using, Reinsch said.

He called the electrocutions "very unusual."

"We have heard of occurrences of individuals shocked while in the water," he said, "but this is very rare."

And yet a similar incident was reported Wednesday at a Tennessee lake, he said. In that case, one boy died but another was revived after being shocked while swimming between houseboats.

Source: http://www.kansascity.com/2012..._popular#storylink=cpy

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Respect Our Outdoor Recreational Resources
Leaving Only "Footprints in the Sand"

2003 5.3 Chevy P/U
1972 35' Crest Pontoon Houseboat
2007 90 hp. Yamaha

Horrible accident, without knowing the situation as it unfolded, strange others weren't,
killed just doing what comes instinctively.
A true story, some decades back a similar accident ocurred, in Harrods creek off the Ohio River in Louisville. A couple off the back of there boat were alerted when there dogs, became stressed while swiming off there dock finger, wife went in to help the dogs, she was followed by her husband, both were electrocuted an died at the scene.


Too many times as we walk to our boats, we will see reckless an careless cords that are lying about. IM amazed we dont read about more such incidents.

So sad to hear about the above children

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"Come OOON Back............

Man

I allow swimming off the end of the finger. May have to rethink that!!!!!

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1977 58' Aluminum Sumerset
Kentucky Lake

That's horrible. I wish marinas would take more responsibility and post signs about the dangers of electrocution. We're at a marina that must have 400 slips total, probably 150 with power. I often see people swimming next to their boats and it scares the hell out of me. I've voiced my concerns a few times but it generally falls on deaf ears.

We have a boat at my marina that has an electrical issue at this current time. I have been trying to convince the owner that not only will it destroy everyone's props (As well as my entire boat), that he could kill someone. He doesn't seem to have any sort of urgency as he thinks it is an "inconvenience". They don't realize that it will kill people.

Well I'd suggest maybe showing him this thread.. Here's another example I just encountered....

Frayed wiring scrutinized in fatal electrocution at Grainger County marina
2nd child dies from electrocution



BEAN STATION - The boys worshipped together, went to school together and played together - right up to the moment a shock wave coursed through the waters of Cherokee Lake.

Authorities spent Thursday searching for the cause of the freak Fourth of July electrical accident that killed two boys at the German Creek Marina off Muscogee Lane. Investigators ruled out any problems with the electrical meter at the dock and have focused their attention on frayed wiring aboard the houseboat floating beside the boys when the shock hit them, Grainger County Sheriff Scott Layel said.

"We did find some frayed electrical wiring under some steps on the boat," Layel said. "That could be a factor, and that's obviously something that will be looked at during the investigation."

Meanwhile, family members of the boys spent the day struggling to understand.

Noah Winstead, the 10-year-old son of Todd and Jessica Winstead of Morristown, died from the shock. His 11-year-old friend, Nate Lynam, was pronounced dead after being on life support Thursday night at East Tennessee Children's Hospital in Knoxville, authorities said.

"To be honest with you, I didn't sleep a wink last night," Layel said. "I've got three children of my own the same ages as these children, and I just can't imagine what these families are going through."

The boys attended Cornerstone Academy in Morristown, where their parents belong to First Baptist Church. The church kept its sanctuary open Thursday for anyone willing to come pray for the boys and their families.

"Noah loved life, and he lived it to the fullest," said his grandmother Priscilla Mills. "He had many friends and was always the life of the party. Anybody who had anything to do with him always came away with a smile."

The houseboat belongs to Nate Lynam's grandfather, Michael Voccola, 58, of Morristown, said Matt Cameron, spokesman for the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. The boys were swimming between that boat and another tied at the dock around 2:20 p.m. when the shock apparently hit them as they played near a metal ladder on Voccola's boat.

"The children were swimming and began screaming," the sheriff said. "At first everyone thought maybe they were being stung or snake-bit. Everyone began to jump in and attempt to save them."

Five people, including Voccola; his wife, Denise, 55; and Nate Lynam's parents, Travis Lynam, 37, and Kelly Lynam, 35, jumped in the water to help and suffered shocks as well. Paul Worley, a family friend visiting from California, leapt in despite the electric current and a heart condition.

"One gentleman said he was so paralyzed (by the current) he went under maybe three or four feet," the sheriff said.

Worley told investigators he felt the current stop the moment someone on the houseboat tripped a breaker to shut off the boat's power.

"He pulled away from the current and helped pull one of the boys to another nearby boat," said Cameron, the TWRA spokesman.

The adults were treated at Lakeway Regional Hospital in Morristown. Noah's grandmother offered them her thanks Thursday.

"It takes a very special kind of person to forget about their own safety and do that," she said.

Nate Lynam's 8-year-old sister was also swimming in the water and suffered minor injuries from the shock, authorities said. She was treated at East Tennessee Children's Hospital.

Both boys wore life vests. Emergency workers revived Nate and carried him by helicopter to Knoxville.

The dock remained open Thursday, with the houseboat floating quietly in the same spot as the day before. Crime-scene tape covered the rails decked in red, white and blue for the holiday. Life vests and children's toys littered the decks.

An electrical investigator from the state fire marshal's office in Nashville arrived Thursday afternoon to inspect the boat, and TWRA officials expect a nationally certified boating inspector to arrive today. All eyewitness accounts so far point to the boat as the source of the current, officials said.

"It looks like the electrical field was on the surface of the water, very near the houseboat," Cameron said.

The sheriff said boaters sometimes mistakenly use household wiring for electrical work, rather than the specialized wiring recommended for boats.

"These tragedies are rare, but they do happen," Layel said. "In 25 years (of law enforcement), I've never seen anything like this. If the breaker hadn't been pulled, we probably would be looking at more deaths."

A similar accident the same day electrocuted two children - a 13-year-old girl and her 8-year-old brother - as they swam near a private dock at Lake of the Ozarks in southern Missouri. The cause of that fatal shock remains under investigation as well.

Source: Knoxville News Sentinel

Let's face it folks if we suspect safety issues that could prove fatal or disabling it really is our duty to correct it if it's our problem or report it to the Marina Dock-master to get it documented and corrected if it's someone else,s problem, as jtalberts posted above.

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Respect Our Outdoor Recreational Resources
Leaving Only "Footprints in the Sand"

2003 5.3 Chevy P/U
1972 35' Crest Pontoon Houseboat
2007 90 hp. Yamaha

I'm torn here. We let our kids swim off the back of our houseboat all the time. Many many people do in our marina and most marina's I've ever been to. It would be very difficult to not let our kids as we don't take the boat out all that often, especially in the spring, as it is very windy in our marina.

But, the flipside is something like this can happen and it's very sad.

I'm no electrical expert but shouldn't there be some sort of GFI type protection that would blow breakers if the marina electrical systems come into contact with water???????

is there some way the elec. can be monitored ???

I'm thinking a variable voltage buzzer might work. But someone more knowledgeable might jump in here. I believe this could be a product that would sell among houseboat owners. Our marina is made up of new and many early 70's houseboat. After a freak windstorm one dock was damaged beyond repair. They moved all those old boats over to our dock and this worries me. I don't even let the dogs jump in anymore until they finish building the new dock for those old boats.

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• 1978 57' Carlcraft w/twin 454 350hp Crusaders V-drives
  
  
• 1984 26' Sleekcraft, 502 BBC, 525hp
  
  
• Realtime Weather Aboard The Bama Breeze

Electrocution drownings happen often in marinas, but don't get reported as electrocution. They get reported as drowning, as no evidence of electrocution is found. Small amounts of electric current in the water siezes muscles, so you can't keep yourself afloat. Wearing a lifejacket might help a little.

My marina regularly tests the water for stray current. They recently required one houseboater to rewire his boat to stop the stray current.

Here is an interesting site relative to electrocution drowning:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/117494761627517/

Edited: 07/09/2012 at 02:23:40 PM by ShoreBound

ShoreBound, you're absolutely right. I have tried to find some good material or links to post "so far unsuccessfully" whereas a individual or person could hopefully successfully test the water in "their perspective marina". It would be good to know and hopefully inexpensive to administrate. But what the heck I'm moving on this thread is now destined to locked out wasteland anyway so why should anyone bother..

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Respect Our Outdoor Recreational Resources
Leaving Only "Footprints in the Sand"

2003 5.3 Chevy P/U
1972 35' Crest Pontoon Houseboat
2007 90 hp. Yamaha

"See you on the other side", Bamby. I hope the new system works well for us.

So we determined with some testing that our neighbor is indeed dumping electric in the water. I had a long discussion with the marina owner. She seemed to be more worried about upsetting the boat owner. I said that when my boat sinks from corrosion or someone dies will that finally get their attention? Thankfully, the boat owner's wife agrees that the boat needs fixed ASAP. I'm amazed at how many people think I am making it up as to how serious this issue is.

I'll get you the link info on the monitor device you mount on your boat. That will let you know about stray ele. on or about your hull

We have a boating ele.guru who has told others of this device, right now all I know is it runs about 70$.....Have not seen the site or particulars, I'll pass it alone an you decide if its snake oil or worth it

cant tell u anymore than that.

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"Come OOON Back............