Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Thoughts on Volts and H2O was Compensation

[David Buchner <buchner@wcta.net>]

>     One last thought.  I recently saw on some TV show a reenactment of a 
>near electrocution where this kid jumped off in a lake from a pier and 
>suddenly stopped moving.  The problem was a 120 volt line hanging into the 
>water supplying power to a pier light.  I seem to remember another person 
>jumping into the water and having the same problem.  They got the power off 
>and I believe both lived.  Had that been a saltwater scenario they would 
>have probably died.  Killed by low resistance!!!
>
>Gary Boucher


Gary,
Thanks for the wise words on electrocution and volts and amps and such. (Although Dave's story was much, much funnier!).

I like to think I'm pretty safe with the 12-volt circuits through most of my house, but I manage to be pretty careless sometimes, and boy can you get some pretty big sparks and some pretty warm wires when you make a boo-boo.

In the part about the wire in the lake above... how could the people diving in have become part of the circuit, if the wire was just hanging in the water? Or did they brush against it on the way in? Huh? I don't get it.

-- 
David
Osage MN USA
buchner@wcta.net - http://customer.wcta.net/buchner