Three people swimming near houseboat at marina treated for electrical shock

Two women and a 12-year-old girl swimming near a houseboat at a Tennessee marina were treated for electrical shock and have been released from local hospitals, according to a July 7 Knoxville News Sentinel report.

The incident occurred on July 3 at International Harbor Marina on Fort Loudin Lake in Blount Co., Tenn., and the source of the electricity that shocked the three people remains unknown, according to local and state authorities.

Allen Ricks, a spokesman for the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, said all three people were swimming behind a houseboat when they felt an electrical current. One of the women was able to swim away from the threat and did not require medical care. Two others in the water when the electricity struck were taken to hospitals in Maryville and Knoxville, treated and released.

Date: July 19, 2010

Categories: Industry News

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Tim Law

in July 20th, 2010 @ 11:25

The most common and ignored electrical shock hazard around docks and marinas is unattended shore power cables when they are disconnected from the vessel. These disconnected 120 volt-30 or 50 AMP cables are rarely turned off at the breaker and are almost always left laying on the dock where they can (and will) come in contact with the water. The contact can result from the cables being accidently knocked into the water or from water incursion on the dock from other boat owners washing their boats, filling water tanks, washing down the dock, or waves or wakes breaking over the dock. Marina owners and boaters mistakenly rely on the breaker to trip in the event of a ground fault by water incursion. Experience tells me that this will not happen unless the breaker is “exercised” regularly and replaced every 2-3 years. Even if this is done, there is no guarantee the breaker will trip when it is supposed to due to insect incursion (I saw one that had a hornets nest built completely over both breakers) or just simply because it is in an outside marine environment.

People (and pets) are more subject to electrical shock in fresh water than in salt water. “Victims will lose muscle control if the current is 0.02AMP to 0.03AMP and will suffer ventricular fibrillation at 0.05AMP to 0.06AMP. Because victims typically show no sign of injury, many electrical shock drownings are mislabeled as deaths attributable to alcohol intoxication or heart attack.” (Case of the Hot Marina by Jim Shafer).

In addition to the water induced electrical shock hazard, unattended electrical cables on the dock are a hazard to children who could come into contact with the energized plugs and to marina employees as a work place safety hazard (OSHA violation).

The Marine PowerSafe(TM) is designed to effectively deal with the hazard of unattended shore power cables by getting them off of the dock into a secure water resistant storage location. The patented design is easy to use (almost easier than laying the cables on the dock) and installs in 10 minutes or less on most docks. The product is only available through Law Limited USA, LLC at http://www.marinepowersafe.com.

Marina and boat owners are vigilant of safety hazards; however many times it is the things that owners overlook that have the potential for the greatest harm.

Tim Law
President
Law Limited USA, LLC

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Three people swimming near houseboat at marina treated for electrical shock

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Tim Law