An American man has died after being electrocuted in a hot tub at a resort in Mexico, local officials have confirmed.
The 43-year-old man, identified by police as Jorge N, died after being electrocuted in a hot tub he was sharing with a woman. The woman, identified by police as Lizeth N, was taken to the US for medical treatment for her life-threatening injuries.
The incident happened at a complex of private condominiums at the resort city of Puerto Peñasco, in the Mexican state of Sonora.
The death of the man and the injuries suffered by the woman were “due to a possible electric discharge” when both were inside the hot tub, according to a social media post from the general prosecutor’s office of justice for the state of Sonora on Wednesday.
State officials said they were working to identify the cause of the shock. Video taken of the incident shows onlookers screaming in panic as they crowd around the hot tub, which is located near a beach. Someone is shown doing chest compressions on a person lying on the ground in the video.
The general prosecutor’s office of justice, known as La Fiscalía General de Justicia del Estado de Sonora (FGJES) in Mexico, is actively investigating the incident.
In a GoFundMe page set up by friends of Jorge, they wrote: “Our best friends have experienced a horrible accident. Jorge had a heart of gold and was always there for family and friends. The love they shared was one for ages. We are asking for your help to bring him home & help with medical expenses for her.”
The US Consumer Product Safety Commission has reported 33 fatalities involving electrocutions in swimming pools and spas since 2002. If you think someone in the water is experiencing an electrical shock, the commission recommends immediately turning off all power and calling 911.
The American Red Cross recommends “using a fiberglass Shepherd’s crook/rescue hook, extend your reach to the victim and then follow these steps: Brace yourself on the pool deck and extend the Shepherd’s crook/rescue hook toward the victim. If the victim cannot grasp the Shepherd’s crook/rescue hook, use the loop to encircle the victim’s body and pull the victim, face-up, to the edge. Carefully remove the victim from the water”.