2 in Critical Condition After Electrically Shocked in Swimming Pools This Weekend
The separate incidences raised concerns about swim safety this summer.
— -- The electrical shocking of two people while swimming in outdoor pools this weekend has brought attention to potential safety risks that could arise this summer.
An 8-year-old girl from Pennsylvania and a 34-year-old man from New Jersey are both in critical condition after suffering electrical shocks in outdoor pools this weekend, according to local police.
On Saturday, the 34-year-old man was shocked while swimming at the pool of the Aztec Motel in Wildwood Crest, New Jersey, according to Detective Sergeant Edward Gorski of the Wildwood Crest Police Department. The man remains in critical condition at the Presbyterian Hospital in Philadelphia.
The Fairlawn, New Jersey, man was "discovered unconscious at the bottom of the pool," the police department said in a statement, and the exact cause of the incident remains under investigation.
Adamo Pipitone, the owner of the motel, told ABC News that he is praying for the victim, and that this has never happened before at his motel. Pipitone said the motel is still trying to figure out what caused the electrical shock.
Gorski told ABC News today that he has never seen this happen before, adding that you should call 911 if you believe someone is being electrically shocked in a swimming pool.
On Sunday, an 8-year-old girl was left in critical condition after enduring an electric shock while swimming in a backyard pool, Sergeant Jared Huff of the Silver Spring Township Police Department told ABC News today. Eight kids were swimming in the pool, and one of the kids flipped the switch for the pool light, which may have caused the electrical shock, Huff said, though the exact cause is still unclear. The 8-year-old girls was the only one who was not able to get out of the pool, and she was airlifted to Hershey Medical Center, where Huff said she remains in critical condition in the intensive care unit.
Both police departments emphasized that these were rare occurrences.
According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, if you think someone in the water is experiencing an electrical shock, immediately turn off all power and call 911. If you are in the water and think you are being shocked, immediately move away from the source of the shock and get out of the water, if possible exit without using a metal ladder.