Five people were electrocuted in a freak accident at an Indiana backyard pool Sunday afternoon, police said, including two young girls and a teenage boy who is being hailed as a hero for saving the lives of others.
According to Logansport Police, the couple, their two children – a 16-year-old son and a 10-year-old daughter – and the girl's friend were swimming in the family's pool to cool off on a hot summer day when they were all electrocuted.
The frightening incident began around 2:30 p.m. when the group felt a “vibration” in the pool and the father called for someone to turn off the sump pump, Logansport Police Chief Travis Ike said. He told Fox 59.
All five were shocked to varying degrees by the electrified water before the sump pumps were shut off.
Police said at least two of the victims were unresponsive when authorities arrived on the scene.
All were taken to hospital with various injuries, but are expected to survive thanks to the efforts of their teenage son, who works as a local lifeguard, who rescued the injured family member and his sister's friend from the pool.
“I want to commend the young man who was in the pool when this happened,” Ike told local Fox News station. “He was also injured, but after the power went out he jumped out into the pool himself, realised what was happening and saved the lives of his father, his sister and her friend.”
“Without the heroic actions of the 16-year-old boy involved in this incident, the outcome may have been very different.”
According to police, investigators determined the cause of the electric shock was a pool pump wire that was pinched by the pool ladder, causing its protective covering to break and expose the wire to the water.
“It's an unfortunate accident, but thankfully everyone is safe,” Ike told Fox 59.
