Swimming in Fresh Water Marinas...Don't do it!

Sum Escape

Sum Escape

Member
Apr 7, 2009
393
West Florida
Boat Info
2020 Tiara 53 Flybridge
Engines
CAT C 12.9 1000 HP Straight Shaft
[h=2]After reading the debate on portable generators I thought I would post another real world hazard. My wife and I witnessed this tragedy from our boat at this marina in August. Electricity leaks and fresh water are very hazardous. Just a couple of young men taking a swim on a hot day....this still haunts me. Please think twice about jumping in at a marina on a hot day...the signs are there for a reason. This is a fairly common occurance.
Family sues seeking $50M in man's marina death[/h]Sept. 15, 2011, 6:33 p.m. EDT
Traverse City Record-Eagle
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — The family of an 18-year-old man who died while swimming at the Clinch Park marina in Traverse City has filed a lawsuit seeking $50 million.
The Traverse City Record-Eagle reports (http://bit.ly/q51GGZ ) Michael Knudsen's family says it wants to prevent similar deaths with the lawsuit Wednesday against the city and others.
Mayor Chris Bzdok says the death is a tragedy that needs investigation.
Knudsen died Aug. 15 after he swam off a dock with a friend who reported getting a shock. Marina employees cut power to the dock before Knudsen was pulled from the water. A preliminary autopsy listed the cause of death for the Mancelona man as a combination of electric shock and drowning.
City documents show two separate breaks in an electric power line leaked electricity into the water
 
Wow, how terrible. I have seen a lot of people swimming in marinas. I do not let them for this reason. Thanks for the article...
 
This is exactly why the marina owners where I slip won't put shore power in. :smt089
 
That's awful but it's not only fresh water salt water conducts electricity even more so I wouldn't swim in any marina
 
mainstream said:
That's awful but it's not only fresh water salt water conducts electricity even more so I wouldn't swim in any marina
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Actually, the fact salt water conducts electricity makes it safer to swim in... Electricity goes for the path of least resistance and your salty body in fresh water funnels the juice through you on it's quest to find ground... salt water dissipates electricity far quicker.
 
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LTD.330 said:
I call BS.

Shore power can be safely installed, it is done literally everywhere.
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We can call it what ever, but they ain't gonna do it. As it happens, a swimmer was killed (shocked/drowned) several years ago at the marina because of a faulty on-board genny and a metal swim ladder. Not sure of all the details, but the co-owner as part of the dive rescue team, had to pull the victim from the water and is adamant about the no shore power thing even though this had nothing to do with shore power.

You are correct... it can be installed correctly, but maintenance is crucial also, as is clear in the OP's story. As I understand, we are the only marina in the state without shore power.
 
The chances of this occurring are extremely low. There are hundreds of divers in the water every day cleaning boat bottoms. Granted they are in neoprene suits which will act as insulator. Personally, I would be concerned with getting killed driving my car to the marina than stray electoral currents doing me in.
 
From the article: http://traversecityrecordeagle.newspaperdirect.com/epaper/viewer.aspx

"Circuit breakers with integrated ground fault circuit interrupters that trip the breaker when electrical current leaks out would “solve the problem overnight,” Ritz said.
“But you wouldn’t believe the push-back. Everyone is concerned about false trips,” Ritz said. “Look at what the alternative is: Another young person is dead.”

I would worry that the shore power failure would lead to more sinking vessels. Is this a valid concern? They also got dangerously close to one of my most hated phrases: "if it saves one life, it is worth it" MM
 
Billfletcher said:
The chances of this occurring are extremely low. There are hundreds of divers in the water every day cleaning boat bottoms. Granted they are in neoprene suits which will act as insulator. Personally, I would be concerned with getting killed driving my car to the marina than stray electoral currents doing me in.
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:thumbsup:
 
We only provide power to 15 cruiser slips with proper three prong Marine connections to shore power cords. The main is protected by a ground fault breaker and every boat connection is a ground fault breaker. We have not had any false trips so far, Mike.
 
MonacoMike said:
From the article: http://traversecityrecordeagle.newspaperdirect.com/epaper/viewer.aspx

"Circuit breakers with integrated ground fault circuit interrupters that trip the breaker when electrical current leaks out would “solve the problem overnight,” Ritz said.
“But you wouldn’t believe the push-back. Everyone is concerned about false trips,” Ritz said. “Look at what the alternative is: Another young person is dead.”

I would worry that the shore power failure would lead to more sinking vessels. Is this a valid concern? They also got dangerously close to one of my most hated phrases: "if it saves one life, it is worth it" MM
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If that is the case we need to outlaw vehicles, alcohol, and just about everything else we do and use on a daily basis. There are people out there that are going to do stupid things and ignore warnings everyday. We cannot legislate and design everything to accommadate the ignorant. Any loss of life is tragic and sad, but it most cases it could have been avoided by that individual if they payed attention to signs and applied a little bit of common sense. As stated earlier, the chances of this occurrring is very slim, you have a better chance of getting hit by a bus, car wreck, cancer, and a host of other things too long to mention.
 
Although I agree that the odds of becoming an ESD victim are very slim, I am not willing to spin the wheel and take a chance on swimming around powered slips. If one had to go into the water to retreive something that fell overboard, they should ensure that the power was shut off or not go in at all. Some posters are foolishly down playing this real issue, but we are not talking about driving your car off the road here. We are talking about human life and how much we value it. We don't drink and drive, we use seat belts, wear pfd's and take several other precautions to help minmize the loss of life, so what is wrong about making our fellow boaters & dock mates aware of this potential problem?
 
electricaldoctor said:
Although I agree that the odds of becoming an ESD victim are very slim, I am not willing to spin the wheel and take a chance on swimming around powered slips. If one had to go into the water to retreive something that fell overboard, they should ensure that the power was shut off or not go in at all. Some posters are foolishly down playing this real issue, but we are not talking about driving your car off the road here. We are talking about human life and how much we value it. We don't drink and drive, we use seat belts, wear pfd's and take several other precautions to help minmize the loss of life, so what is wrong about making our fellow boaters & dock mates aware of this potential problem?
Click to expand...

+ 1 :thumbsup:
 
electricaldoctor said:
Although I agree that the odds of becoming an ESD victim are very slim, I am not willing to spin the wheel and take a chance on swimming around powered slips. If one had to go into the water to retreive something that fell overboard, they should ensure that the power was shut off or not go in at all. Some posters are foolishly down playing this real issue, but we are not talking about driving your car off the road here. We are talking about human life and how much we value it. We don't drink and drive, we use seat belts, wear pfd's and take several other precautions to help minmize the loss of life, so what is wrong about making our fellow boaters & dock mates aware of this potential problem?
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Awareness was my exact intent with the original post.
There was no boat even near where this young man dove from the dock. It is my understanding that due to a "chafing" issue between sections of floating dock, the electrical fault occurred. The screams of his friends for help and the unsuccessful CPR will be with me for a lifetime.
Thanks for your post electricaldoctor.
 
Great post.....thanks for the awareness. I know I let my kids swim off the boat at different marinas without even giving this a consideration...
 
I agree. Thank you for the awareness. I didn't know about this before. I don't let my kids swim at the marina. I have seen the signs but thought it was more for the traffic concerns. Once last season I did walk into the water from the boat ramp to rescue the lost shoe of one of my passengers. It was about midnight and there was no boat traffic, so I thought there was no concern. Now I know better. Thanks again.

As stated above, if it saves one life...
 
Maybe I'm ignorant but I have NEVER heard of any such warning in the 44 years I've been on/around/in boats. Nor have I ever heard of this type of occurrence on any of the message boards I've frequented in the past 10 years. This is truly a freak tragic accident and should be treated as such. Do you know anyone who got hit by a car crossing the street? Does that mean you shouldn't EVER cross a street again?

I won't advocate swimming in my marina's waters, but b/c they are disgustingly stagnant. There were probably a dozen people swimming off the docks in Atlantic City back in July - third year in a row. Men, women and children. No one said or thought anything about it.
 
I too thank you for bringing this to our attention, Sum. It is OK if they call me ana!, I resemble that remark much of the time, but I have worried about the relationship of electricity to water. Once I thought I did feel some current but didn't dive in to find out more.

I think my comment: "They also got dangerously close to one of my most hated phrases: "if it saves one life, it is worth it" was not well articulated.

Too much of the time one freak accident occurs and the grieving survivors make it their life's work to "make sure it never happens again". I feel for the survivors, but all the money in the world, changes to laws, and restrictions placed on the rest of us will change their loss. For example we have decided as a society that the expediency of our speed laws is reasonable compared to those that die each year. If we set the speed limit a 5 mph how many would die then? We have the power to save thousands of "lives" by lowering speeds or outlawing cars and trucks. Life comes with risk if you live it.

The second part was: what do you think of the mandatory use of GFCI at marinas? Is there greater risk of boats sinking from their false trips? I see this as: "if it saves one life, it is worth it", is it? MM
 
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