Plumber Electrocuted While Installing Dishwasher

A Rochester, N.H., plumber died of an accidental electrocution while working in a condominium building earlier this month. David Dufresne Jr., 52, was a self-employed plumber when he suffered the fatal accident on the sixth floor inside apartment number 2.

According to a report from Seacoast Online, it appeared Dufresne was installing a dishwasher at the time. The public police log noted city inspectors were on scene at the building after police detectives cleared. Deputy City Manager Nancy Colbert Puff said that the city’s electrical inspector, John Plourde, had returned to the scene "to gain a better understanding as to what might have occurred."

"According to his observation, it appears that the deceased was in the process of installing a dishwasher, however, it also appears that the electrocution was not related to any electrical work being performed," she told Seacoast Online. "Instead, he observed that the cord to the recently installed (cooking) range was not installed per manufacturer’s recommended instructions. In the end, it appears that when the deceased was installing a copper line to the dishwasher, he made contact with the range, which did not have a ground fault path back to the overcurrent device, and ultimately resulted in his tragic passing."

OSHA is investigating.