Pool technician advises how to prevent electrocution in the water
A local pool technician is offering advice after a young northern california girl was electrocuted in her backyard swimming pool.
Nine-year-old McKenzie Kinley was swimming with friends on Sunday when she grabbed an underwater light cord and was electrocuted. The family says the light was under repair and they didn’t think it was electrified.
“It’s very serious obviously somebody has passed away because of it…and there’s been several of the same type of accident that have happened here in the desert,” said Dominico Sandoval, repair technician, Roadrunner Pools.
In March of 2016, a 43-year-old man was electrocuted and died in Palm Springs when authorities say he jumped into a pool at a vacation home after his daughters were apparently shocked by an electric current. A total of seven people were shocked in the swimming pool.
Sandoval explains that with all the aging infrastructure here in the valley, it’s extremely important to have your pool’s electrical equipment checked.
“Older fixtures will deteriorate and you can get moisture inside of a fixture that’s why the GFI is there to protect it,” said Sandoval. GFI is short for Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter — an essential component to ensuring your pool’s safety. “Checking the GFI circuit…making sure there’s a GFI circuit is attached to the pool lighting is the most important thing,” said Sandoval.
If your GFI is working, it should shut off power to the pool if there’s a problem: “It’s like the electrical outlet that you have in your restroom…if you get electricity to the water, it’s supposed to interrupt the circuit and prevent anybody from getting electrocuted from the water,” said Sandoval.
According to experts, a pool’s electrical components should be checked at least twice a year. Especially in the summertime when so many are hitting the pools to cool down. “It’s very important…somebody’s life can be lost,” said Sandoval.
