Electric Shock Drowning Suspected in Death of Two Brothers

A fun outing at Scorpion Bay on Lake Pleasant, located north of Phoenix, turned to tragedy on July 12 when what authorities are calling an “electrocution incident” left two brothers dead and another person in critical condition (two others were present but did not suffer life-threatening injuries). After the one brother jumped into the lake and appeared to be in immediate distress, the other brother jumped in followed by the girlfriend, both of whom experienced similar symptoms of what was believe to be electrical current.

According to a report from www.azcentral.com, investigators with the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office indicated that the two brothers (ages 53 and 50) “intentionally bypassed their boat’s electrical safety features and improperly modified the electrical connection system.” The investigation and recreation of accident conditions led investigators to attribute the fatalities to electric shock drowning (ESD). Read the original report for more details. Additional information can be found at Fox News and 360aproko.com.

EC&M has covered the topic of ESD extensively over the years. For more information, read the following articles:

• The Science Behind Electric Shock Drowning
• The Latest on Ground-Fault Protection at Marinas
• NFPA Stresses Electric Safety in Pools and at Marinas
• Electric Shock Drowning: The Truth Behind the Tragedies
• What Lies Beneath
• The Case of the Floating Dock
• The Case of Stray Voltage in a Lake
• The Case of the Hot Marina