Electrocution?

[bphgravity]

Courtesy of the NBC-2.com website. I will update you on any final determination of death and the exact problem with the electrical system.

The city of Fort Myers is investigating how a young man died while playing basketball at Clemente Park. Twenty two year-old Dion Young collapsed near the basketball court Sunday Night. The park is closed until further notice because there is reason to believe Young was electrocuted. Clemente Park was shut down after what appears to be a tragic accident Sunday night. The power has been shut off in two places. The city has hired outside help to investigate the potential problem.

Sunday night Dion Young was playing basketball with family and friends when he walked between a light pole and a fence. Just as he passed by, the lights turned on and he collapsed. 911 operator: What's going on there? Caller: My friend, he just fell, fell down on the ground Officers who responded to the call felt electric shocks when they touched Young and the fence. They carefully pried him away and rushed him to the hospital. But it was too late ? Young died. It is too early in the investigation to know whether or not Young was electrocuted. The city routinely checks parks. Two weeks ago they redirected the lights blown over from hurricane season at the park. But they said they did nothing electrical. That changes nothing for Young's family. Monday, Valentine's Day, was his one year wedding anniversary with his wife Danielle. The Medical Examiner will have to determine the cause of death. The city says they have not had any problems at Clemente Park. They said it is the first time they have had a possible electrocution at a park.

 

[charlie tuna]

Re: Electrocution?

bryan,
i'd bet you money, it's just another problem with improper grounding. you really can't do much to electrical systems without the possible effect of loosing the return path. please keep us posted if you can on what the cause was from... thanks, charlie tuna.........

 

[karl riley]

Re: Electrocution?

I saw the shots of an electrician checking the situation on local TV. The news announcer said no unusual currents were found. They should be looking for voltage.

Does anyone have any contacts with Fort Myers government to make sure they check whether these lamps are wired with an EGC or just grounded to the pole?

This happens so often I would say it is criminal negligence.

Karl

 

[tom baker]

Re: Electrocution?

Shocks and electrocutions happen frequently, but there is no central database to track the incidents.
Please keep us posted. I like to forward this type information to Mike Holt

 

[charlie tuna]

Re: Electrocution?

i read in the paper that the investigator was waiting until sunday to "re-inact the incident". that to me doesn't sound logical. it's a park and power goes on and off. proper grounding is the issue here. but many of these electrocutions get swept under the carpet and the sad thing is "nothing is learnt"! an attorney will challenge the relatives that "lightning" could have been the cause or "stray currents". this is why we kill hundreds of people in the united states every year because people do not understand proper grounding practices and too many depend on the "useless" driven ground rod for grounding protection!!!!

 

[bphgravity]

Re: Electrocution?

Here's an update:

Clemente Park's lights are off and the gates will stay locked until investigators figure out whether or not a deadly electrical current runs through a fence and light pole. Sunday night, witnesses said 22 year old Dion Young died at the park when he touched a fence and light pole just as the light came on. At Clemente Park, an electrician with Shamrock Electric is investigating whether or not Young was electrocuted.

With public works, the fire chief, the medical examiner and other city officials watching, the electrician tested the fence and light to see if a current flowed through them. "They're actually trying to simulate what happened that particular night," said Al Abdo of Public Works. With their bare hands, they touched everything Young was in contact with when he collapsed. They didn't find anything. They turned the lights on and off looking for shorts in the current-again they found nothing. They jiggled wires and purposely created an electrical current to see if enough juice would go through the fence to shock someone to death - again with bare hands. Again they found nothing. "We're trying to do a very thorough job and anything related to any electrical around the basketball court, not just the lights, but any electrical around here, they're going to check," said Abdo. The electrician even asked for the sprinkler system to be turned on ? on the off chance the water could have created some sort of an electrical current, but it's likely the water was not the cause of Young's death. The sprinklers are on a timer. They were on Friday before Young died and the Monday after Young died.

Investigators have yet to find any proof Young was electrocuted. Shamrock Electric will return to Clemente Park Sunday night to recreate what happened by going to the court the same day of the week and at the same time the death occurred. The Medical Examiner's final report could take ten to fourteen weeks.

Can you believe this!! This must be some kind of joke. What a fantastic idea; run around touching everything conductive to see if you can receive a shock. This is embarrassing.

 

[bthielen]

Re: Electrocution?

It's a good thing these guys don't investigate homicides to verify how the victims died! I wonder how long this person has been an "electrician"?

 

[George Stolz]

Re: Electrocution?

Honestly, could you imagine being called in to troubleshoot that one, and have reporters and police staring over your shoulder? That would suck.

I can hardly concentrate with just a homeowner watching me...

 

[petersonra]

Re: Electrocution?

Originally posted by bthielen:
It's a good thing these guys don't investigate homicides to verify how the victims died! I wonder how long this person has been an "electrician"?

my guess is they took a long hard look at it before doing this. keep in mind thousands of people probably touch these things everyday and have not been shocked.

i'd bet they already know it was not an electrocution but are going through the motions as a PR stunt.

 

[69boss302]

Re: Electrocution?

However, what kind of example does it set for people watching this PR stunt on the news. Oh just run around touching metal and wires see you don't get shocked

 

[physis]

Re: Electrocution?

Reading this news article I notice the "journalist" chose to desribe only those things that were done that appear to be rediculous or foolish. wiggling wires, turning on srinklers, touching fences.

I expect that it was looked at a little more intelegently than the report suggests. I guess the reporter didn't have any interest in someone using test equipment or examining terminations.

On a funnier note, I was hoping to see guys in insulated space suits moving in an inch at a time waving some kind of detector/meter thing around in front of them.

 

[jimwalker]

Re: Electrocution?

While it needed investigated ,i hope they know they will be called to court.Also hope they dont outrule that someone already fixed the problem.Posibly the last guy to work on it.

 

[karl riley]

Re: Electrocution?

The question that has to be asked is: did the light circuit have a functioning EGC or not?

If he misses this one he misses the most common cause of this situation, IMO.

Karl

 

[physis]

Re: Electrocution?

I was thinking the same thing Jim.

 

[jimwalker]

Re: Electrocution?

Could also be a bad connection on the grounding conductor that just happens to be working at time of test.That is if it had one.

 

[charlie tuna]

Re: Electrocution?

i just heard today that we electricute on an average 28 people per month on mostly miss-wired light poles etc... thats "shocking"!!!! but we keep driving that ground rod and introducing an additional useless green wire to the junction box!!!

 

[charlie tuna]

Re: Electrocution?

i have a methode which can illiminate many of these electricutions! it would require a code change similar to the ground fault interupter device. and require a manufacturer to market a inexpensive device which will be installed on all metallic poles and electrified structures. it will also generate work for our trade. but more importantly, we can provide a life saving service to the general public that relies on our knowledge to protect them. are there any manufacturers interested in saving near three hundred lives a year???????????

 

[templdl]

Re: Electrocution?

That would make too much sense Charlie.
Dave

 

[rbalex]

Re: Electrocution?

Originally posted by charlie tuna:
i have a methode which can illiminate many of these electricutions! it would require a code change similar to the ground fault interupter device...

Charlie, Please consider posting your idea as proposal on the 2008 Proposal Forum.

 

[George Stolz]

Re: Electrocution?

If a car (I just typo'd: czar)

Ahem!

If a car hits a light pole, won't it demolish a GFI inside the pole too? Just a thought.