EC&M Magazine - July 2010
Boy is electrocuted after severed ground wire and water buildup in junction box make for fatal electrical combination.

What started out as a beautiful day at the lake quickly turned to tragedy for a grandfather and his grandson. The pair headed out to enjoy the warm waters of Lake Waccamaw, N.C., with the intention of playing under the dock in 3 ft of water. However, by raising the boat lift to allow more room, the grandfather inadvertently exposed a live 120V line to the hands of a child.

The scene

Lake Waccamaw is a beautiful lake with depths that average 6 ft to 10 ft in most places and 2 ft to 3 ft along the shoreline. Many lakefront owners have a long walkway leading out to a wooden dock. This particular covered dock, located about 200 ft out on the lake, contained a picnic table, barbecue grill, motorized boat lift, ceiling fans, and two staircases that descended down to the water's edge — overall, a very nice place to swim and enjoy the lake.

On this day, the grandfather/grandson duo decided to go swimming in the open area where a boat would have been located. Because he did not own a boat, the grandfather lifted the metal rails of the boat lift about 2 ft out of the water, operating a 1-hp motor connected to a pulley system with metal cables. Normally, the grandfather let the rails sit in the water.

The accident

As they were enjoying themselves in the water, several neighbor children (ranging in age from eight to 13) decided to join them. Everyone gathered under the shade of the covered dock, in and around the raised metal boat lift and 3 ft of water.

Out of the corner of his eye, the grandfather noticed a child hanging and swinging from the metal rails. He immediately told the child to get off, which he did. A short time later, another child said he felt a tingle on his legs. Immediately dismissing this claim, the grandfather maintained this was not possible. The child, standing in the water and not touching anything, continued to insist he had felt a tingle. Perplexed, the grandfather cautiously walked up to the metal rails and touched them. Feeling an electrical shock go up his arm, he advised the children to “Get out of the water, now!”

Everyone scrambled out of the water, climbing the nearest stairs onto the wooden deck surface. As the grandfather assessed the situation, standing near the lift controls, he looked down into the water and saw a child floating face down in the water. He called out to him, but did not get a response. Not knowing who the child was, he asked another child if he was playing a game. That child jumped into the water, raised the boy's head, and found him to be unconscious. The grandfather immediately brought the child to the deck's surface and administered CPR, while his wife dialed 911. When the emergency medical staff arrived, they couldn't revive the child, pronouncing him dead at the scene (cause of death was electrocution).

The investigation

After the tragic accident, the family of the deceased boy, as well as the grandfather (homeowner), wanted answers. How did this happen? Where did the voltage come from? How long had this situation existed? These and other questions were going through everyone's minds when my firm was called in to investigate this accident on behalf of the grandfather, who was being sued by the victim's family (who also sued the electrician).

The inspector stated that the dock was originally built without electricity, and whoever did the wiring never obtained an electrical permit. The grandfather recalled that a local contractor had completed the work, and did not recall if he had seen the permit (the dock had a certificate of occupancy but without electricity). I surmised there was no telling how long that ground wire had been severed.

Lessons learned

Don't assume that because you see a GFCI circuit interrupter in-circuit that you are protected from a ground fault. Always insist that anyone doing electrical work for you gets an electrical permit. Although this does cost money, in the end, the customer can rest assured knowing that a qualified electrical inspector will make sure the electrical installation is completed within the confines of the NEC.

Cavallaro, P.E., CFEI, is a forensic electrical engineer and certified fire investigator with Forensic Engineering, Inc., Raleigh, N.C. He can be reached at jcavallaro@feiwebsite.com.