Dockside electrocutions are preventable, inspectors say

Three people were killed in five days by electrocution at Lake of the Ozarks.

July 09, 2012|by Sara Forhetz, KY3 News | sforhetz@ky3.com

LAKE OF THE OZARKS, Mo. -- For the second time since July 4, stray electricity in the water killed someone last Saturday. Three people have died in the last five days. They all were electrocuted while swimming, and experts say these are completely preventable deaths.

"Electricity and water don't mix very well," said Ed Nicholson.

Nicholson is the fire marshal for Osage Beach and often inspects boat docks.

"They have water pumps, ceiling fans, light fixtures, boat lifts, radio, TVs, stereo systems wired outside."

He says you could liken many boat docks to living quarters on the water. The difference is, outside, it's often not professionally wired.

"If this trips out, it's protecting all the way from here (the shore) all the way to the dock, whereas, if they just have outlets, only that outlet is protected," Nicholson said.

It can lead to a deadly outcome: electric currents going through the water, waiting to be grounded by anything that clings on to the dock, or worse.

"What's going to electrocute you is when you grab that source of ground. Depending on where the current is coming from, you can still get electrocuted even by not grabbing anything," said Chris Bachman with the Mid-County Fire Protection District.

Bachman says it's a simple fix that could save a life. He says people can pick up a tester at any hardware store for about $10.

"When the two orange lights light up, it shows it's wired correctly and you just push the test button and then it trips the breaker back over here at the electric panel. Then come back and confirm that your breaker has tripped," Bachman said.

The two private docks where three people were killed, including a 13-year-old girl and her 8-year-old brother were not properly grounded, according to investigators.

"They're uneducated or they are unaware of the importance of having the GFI protection on the dock, and making sure it is grounded and bonded properly," Bachman said.

GFI is ground fault circuit interruption, and it's what you and I likely have in our home bathroom.

"You have a hairdryer or a curling iron plugged in, years ago it wasn't required in bathrooms and people would get electrocuted because something would drop off in the tub, and the person in tub would be electrocuted. This is the same thing."

Nicholson says he all too often sees dock owners out of compliance. A quick look at the dock next door showed a light bulb that could be trouble -- it's intended for indoor use only.

Ultimately, it is up to the homeowner to make sure his or her dock is properly wired. Some 30,000 docks are on the Lake of the Ozarks.

KY3 News talked to a man who lost his 8-year-old son to this, and he says the problem is lack of education -- on the part of dock owners and investigators. Kevin Ritz says, often times, investigators mark these as drownings, when in fact the person drowned because he was electrocuted and unable to swim.

Ameren UE says it is open to discussions for requiring that all docks be inspected, but fire marshals say it is largely political, too, because you're talking about people's personal, private property.

For a checklist to see what is required of boat dock owners, and to make sure yours is properly wired, click here.

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