Family and friends are remembering 19-year-old Evan Currie. The teen was electrocuted by an undetected electrical current, Saturday, after jumping into the water at Put-In-Bay.
Currie's death brings to the surface the scary truth about electric shock drowning (ESD). News 5 took a closer look at this silent killer which can happen in your own backyard.
A family outing takes a devastating turn. "He is calling for help he says he is dying" said a man on the 911 recording.
RELATED:19-year-old dies after being shocked by electrical current inwaternear family's boat at Put-in-Bay
Officials say Currie and his family were out at the Miller Marina, by the Put-in-Bay Yacht Club when Currie's father jumped into the water to save the family dog. Then Currie and his brother followed after they noticed their father struggling.
What they didn't know was that an undetected electrical current was running through the water.
"There is an emergency in front of the Put-In-Bay Yacht Club, some sort of electrical shock. A young man is in the water" the 911 recording continues.
Bystanders alerted Currie's mother to the problem, but it was too late. The Electric Shock Drowning Prevention Association has tracked 77 deaths associated to ESD. But they believe the actual number is even greater.
According to the association, the majority of the cases happens in or around a marina or docks. It can also happen in your own back yard.
"Lighting inside the pool. You want to make sure they are GFI protected. You want to make sure the lights are not loose inside the pool area. The connections are far enough away" said electrician David Neuman of Dave's Electric.
Neuman says it is important to check for risks before using your pool for the season. "You should also look for any rust on equipment. Any loose equipment anything that looks corroded" said Neuman.
He says it is also important for at least one person to know how to shut off the main electrical source, in the case of an emergency.
"This is going to trip in 1/40 of a second and the equipment shuts down," Neuman says as he flips the main electrical source off. "You don't want to add yourself to the list of victims," said Neuman.
Above all, Neuman says when in doubt or if you have any questions, don't hesitate to call a professional.
