electricity at the lake

[resStealth]

i heard from my grandpa, who owns a 100 foot house boat at lake cumberland in kentucky, a girl was recently electricuted(hope i spelled correct) to death swimming. she jumped off her houseboat into the water, and the boat next to her's airconditioner wasnt grounded. they turned it on and it fried her. her friend made it out with severe burns on her legs. im smelling a large lawsuit.

[Ponch]

How can a boat in the water be "not grounded" ?
Or was the device hanging outside the boat and she touched it ?

[resStealth]

from what i have heard, the owner installed a new air conditioning unit himself, and didnt properly ground it.

[wonderinguy34]

I find it hard to believe.I recently saw an episode of MYTHBUSTERS where they dropped appliances into a bathtub and measured the voltage.There was enough current, if you were directly between the item dropped in and the plumbing/drain ,but otherwise the voltage wouldn't hurt you.I simply can't imagine swimming near an improperly grounded airconditioner that it would cause damage even if it fell into the water.If as someone else already said she grabbed onto the airconditioning unit then possibly.

[resStealth]

i dont know all the details, she may have touched it. it was on the kentucky news though.