A 24-year-old Georgia man, Thomas Milner, lost his life in a rather bizarre accident Thursday night.
Milner jumped off the family’s dock into Lake Lanier, where he was electrocuted.
When a neighbor saw him struggling, he too jumped in the water and felt the current.
Before making another rescue attempt, the family killed the power to the dock power supply, then they were able to pull Milner out, but it was too late.
Gone Too Soon
Milner was eventually pulled from the water, then taken to Northside Forsyth Hospital. Sadly, he succumbed to his injuries on Friday.
Milner’s mother, Martha, stated, “We have owned our lake property for 60+ years. He grew up at the lake and was a strong swimmer and loved everything water. Our dock was less than 3 years old and was outfitted with electricity by a licensed electrician,” reported the Daily Caller.
Exactly what contributed to the water being electrified is now under investigation, but it is not the first time that this has happened.
Due to the number of drownings in the lake, a local waterpark is no longer allowing swimming.
The Lake’s website announced, “Recently there were four people-three children and one adult-who were killed in separate accidents involving electricity that was leaking into the water at marinas.”
The lake also offered a free online webinar regarding docks with electricity that are located in fresh or brackish water.
The site goes on to explain, “Electric shock drowning is the result of a typically low level alternating current passing through the body while immersed in fresh water. The force is sufficient enough to cause skeletal muscular paralysis, rendering the victim helpless and unable to swim. This type of fault can happen in any natural water but becomes fatal in freshwater due to lower water conductivity. Saltwater has a higher conductivity.”
Along with drowning, I just cannot imagine a more horrific way to die.
