Whether they were residents or visitors to the complex, individuals at a Florida apartment were shocked by their recent poolside experience…literally. What was incredible in this situation is that it was all caught on videotape.
The videotape depicted what looked like any other day in Florida. The sun was shining, the clear water was inviting and a number of children are splashing around in the shallow end. Then, even without audiotape, the viewers can tell that something bad had unexpectedly occurred when a young girl’s body went completely limp. But what happened?
When the young girl touched the handrail, she had received an electric shock that had made her muscles contract and her body become unresponsive. The girl’s father pulled her from the water, but the video showed that she wasn’t the only victim.
There was another child floating in the pool. A few moments later, this young girl’s limp body was pulled from the water by her grandfather. These two girls and a third person were injured by an electric current flowing through the handrail.
After the incident, the pool was drained and officials began an investigation. The initial report suggests that there was some faulty wiring in a pump hose. This faulty wiring would have caused the metal handrail to become charged, making it a hidden danger revealed only when the children reached out to grab it.
Property owners have a duty to keep the premises safe from hidden or dangerous conditions. This includes providing adequate security and properly maintaining the premises — and we aren’t just talking about cutting the grass. It is not simply enough that the property owner repair known defects, but there are also those that a property owner should discover and repair.
Source: Yahoo! “Three children are shocked after touching the hand rail,” May 22, 2014
