A Department of Natural Resources conservation officer says people need to remember to be cautious when they get electricity near the water when using it on their boat docks. An Ankeny man and his dog were shocked in Clear Lake over the weekend near the hoist of a neighbor’s dock.
Ben Bergman says it’s a good reminder to regularly check out the electrical wiring around a dock, even if it looks like it’s in good shape. He says the appearance of the wiring may look good, but as was the case in Sunday’s incident, something was wrong. He says it’s an uncommon event, but the combination of water and electricity can end in tragedy.
Bergman recommends hiring an electrician to make sure a dock is properly wired. He says D.N.R. rules say that electrical service to docks must comply with federal wiring standards, including ground fault circuit interrupter for protection. Bergman says while incidents like this are rare, people shouldn’t take the issue of electricity being around water lightly. He says the waters are for everybody, and the D.N.R. has to make sure everybody remains safe.
Thirty-one-year-old Nickolas Greiner was injured Sunday morning while a family dog was killed when both were shocked near a boat hoist on Clear Lake’s north shore.
By Bob Fisher, KRIB, Mason City