An electrocution incident at a fountain area of a Florida shopping center resulted in the death of one adult, according to local authorities.
The Jupiter Police Department announced the death of the person, who has not yet been identified - on Monday, sharing that four others were also injured when the electric shock occurred at Harbourside Place on Sunday.
Following the incident, three children and two adults were rushed to a local hospital, WPBF reports. As of Monday afternoon, the three kids that were shocked were said to be recovering at St. Mary's Medical Center in West Palm Beach.
One of the adults that was shocked was released from Jupiter Medical Center while the other adult was pronounced dead at the hospital after being transported to that hospital, as well. A total of eight people were evaluated for injuries at the scene.
Three injured adults refused medical treatment as requested by authorities. An investigation by the Palm Beach County Fire Department found that at approximately 3:30 p.m., one of the children entered the fountain for the first time and began to become distressed.
According to initial reports, the teenager was initially believed to have possibly drowned. At the same time, other people rushed to help the boy but were electrocuted underwater. Firefighters have said that it is currently unclear exactly how the electric shock was possible in the area.
An investigation into the incident is ongoing. “When we arrived on scene, the Jupiter Police Department and civilians were treating patients when we got here, so they got here very quick, and the community and Jupiter police were also involved in that, and that was a good thing,” said Capt.
The elctrocuted fountain
Tom Reyes of the Palm Beach County Fire Rescue. Local utility provider Florida Power & Light shut off power in the region as authorities worked to gain insight into what led to the shocking ordeal. The incident comes just a few weeks after a single mum in Brazil died after she was electrocuted while washing clothes.
Amaila Maria da Cruz Werlick da Silva, 37, was standing barefoot in a puddle of water in her home in Povoado Tibiri, a rural area of Sao Bras, in Alagoas,Brazil, when she suffered the electric shock that killed her on October 11.
Her daughter, who has not been named, told local media that her mother had been handling the washing when she was zapped by the washing machine, which was plugged into a 110v power outlet.
Amaila had gone to unplug the device and was reportedly electrocuted when she touched a live wire.