Electricity and Water Don’t Mix

If you feel a shock, swim away from the dock 

Summer is here and, with it, fun trips to the pool or lake with our friends and family. Safety-conscious parents insist their children wear life jackets around deep water, but we need to be aware of another potentially deadly, invisible swimming danger: electric shock drowning (ESD). 

Safe Electricity points out that this lesser-known type of drowning can happen when electricity from a dock, boat, pool, hot tub or marina escapes into the water due to faulty wiring or equipment. As swimmers enter electrified water, their muscles can become paralyzed and cause them to drown, or they can suffer internal injuries or cardiac arrest. Additionally, someone not aware that electricity is flowing through the water could jump into the dangerous waters to try and rescue the person in distress and end up falling victim themselves. 

NEVER swim in or near marinas, docks or boatyards. Due to conductivity properties of the human body, ESD occurs most often in fresh water. 

IF YOU SEE WHAT YOU THINK IS AN ELECTRIC SHOCK DROWNING: 

• Turn the power source off at the breaker. 
• Throw a life ring but do not enter the water (“reach, throw and row but do not go”). 
• Call 911 or go look for help if no access to phone. 

IF YOU FEEL AN ELECTRIC SHOCK, PULSING OR OTHER UNUSUAL SENSATIONS WHEN YOU ARE IN THE WATER: 

• Shout out to others to let them know; 
• Try to stay upright; 
• Tuck your legs up close to your body to make yourself smaller; and 
• Swim away from anything that could be energized. 

For more information about electrical safety, visit www.safeelectricity.org.

(Originally printed in June's KCL Centerspread)