A Colorado teenager visiting friends in Virginia for Independence Day died after jumping into an electrified lake.
Jesse Hamric, 18, was visiting friends in Virginia with his family when he jumped into Smith Mountain Lake outside Roanoke on Thursday morning, the Bedford County Sheriff’s Office said, according to WDBJ.
After Hamric entered the water, his friends noticed something was wrong. Two people jumped into the lake to help him and said they immediately felt electricity in the water, which deputies later attributed to stray voltage coming from a dock at a nearby residence. Fire crews also tested the water and detected electricity in the water, WDBJ reported.
Deputies said the friends, who suffered minor injuries, were able to pull Hamric out of the water and performed CPR until first responders arrived at the scene at about 4 a.m.
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Hamric was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead, deputies said, according to Steamboat Pilot & Today. His death is being investigated as an accident.
The homeowner of the residence where the electricity was coming from has been notified of the incident and must work with an electrician to fix the voltage issue, Smith Mountain Lake Marine Volunteer Fire/Rescue Assistant Chief Ray Talley told WDBJ.
Hamric was a football and baseball player for Steamboat Springs High School in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, and had recently graduated, according to Steamboat Pilot & Today.
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A GoFundMe page was created to support the family and fund the “Jesse Cyrus Hamric Foundation for Courage and Love.” The fundraiser has raised more than $72,000 as of early Monday morning.
“Please join us in supporting the beloved Hamric family,” the fundraiser said. “They are true servants of our community who make life in Steamboat Springs better by all that they do and by who they are! Jesse was a dearly loved friend, bringing light and positivity everywhere he went, and he will be missed every day.”
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