A man is confirmed dead after being electrocuted when he jumped off his family’s dock into Lake Lanier in Georgia on Thursday (July 27), according to FOX 5 Atlanta. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources told the news outlet that a neighbor was able to pull him out of the water before he was taken to Northside Forsyth Hospital, where he was pronounced dead from his injuries the next day.
Yesterday (July 30), the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office identified the man as Thomas Milner and revealed that he was only 24 years old. Officials reportedly said that when neighbors heard Milner screaming for help, they rode a boat to try and rescue him. The person who jumped in the water said that he felt a burning sensation that he recognized as an electric shock. He ended up swimming to the shore to turn off the power, and then swam back over to get Milner out of the water and back onto the dock. A family member attempted to perform CPR on Milner until the ambulance arrived. Officials said that this incident remains an active investigation.
According to the Electric Shock Drowning Prevention Association, this kind of incident occurs when electrical current flows into the water, causing the swimmer to become immobilized. This cause of death usually occurs in public and private marinas and docks, and the typical victim is a child swimming in or around a marina, dock, or boatyards where electricity is present. The electricity that enters the water and causes electric shock drowning comes from the wiring of the dock or marina, or from boats that are connected to the marina or dock’s power supply.
The Electric Shock Drowning Prevention Association is a nonprofit organization that was created to teach and save the lives of people who frequently use waters for recreational purposes. They provide resources and spread awareness to high risk areas.