It was a terrible accident no one could have seen coming. The incident has left parents, Jimmy and Casey Johnson, mourning the death of their youngest child. Now, to give their loss some meaning, they are speaking out about the hidden danger that took their daughter's life: lake electricity.
Carmen Johnson loved the water. The 15-year-old enjoyed swimming and taking part in water sports in the lake behind the family's home. One day, she went out for a swim. That's when her father noticed it looked as if something was pulling her down into the water. Jimmy and Carmen's brother, Zach, both jumped into the lake to try and pull her out; they were nearly killed themselves. The rusty electrical work at the dock caused an electrical current to enter the water. Carmen was being electrocuted and drowning at the same time.
“I was in a position where I could have saved her if it would have been anything but electrocution in the water,” Jimmy told Good Morning America, heartbroken. “It was instant. It just grabbed hold of me."
Jimmy, Zach, and Carmen's friend were saved when Casey ran and turned off the power switch. Lake electricity or electric shock drowning occurs when a current from a short circuit in the dock wiring, marina or boat, manages to spread throughout the water. Today, Jimmy and Casey are sharing their message about water safety to prevent another tragedy from happening. To see how you can prevent electric shock drowning, please watch the video below for important safety tips.
“There are probably a lot of drownings that happen that could be from this that people don't know,” Casey said.
Please SHARE this important message to prevent electric shock drowning now that the warm-weather months are here!
