May 19, 2013
A Local 8 Weather Alert has been issued for today. Because of the threat of rain, thunder and even hail, outdoor activities may be disrupted or inconvenienced. What's going on? An upper-level low will be moving across East Tennessee today, creating a more unstable atmosphere.
BEAN STATION, Tenn. (WVLT) -- TWRA said one child was electrocuted and six others were shocked near the German Creek Boat Dock on Cherokee Lake.
Initial reports from the scene were that two children were killed, but officials with the TWRA said one of the children was revived.
The 11 year-old who survived is at East Tennessee Children's Hospital in critical condition, but Grainger County Sheriff Scott Layel says he's on maximum life support.
The Grainger County EMA Director, Jeffrey Atkins, said there were four children swimming in between house boats at the Marina, when a woman noticed two of the children were unconscious.
Several more were hurt trying to save the children.
Sheriff Layel says it's possible faulty wiring from a houseboat caused a short, which caused the electric current in the water.
It shocked both boys, killing one of them.
Betty Hamilton was on a boat with her family when she saw two young boys jump off the ladder on this boat into the water.
"The next thing we heard was the screaming and everybody running, and somebody hollered, oh my god the kid's electrocuted," said Hamilton.
Despite the unknown track of the electric current, several people jumped in to save the two boys.
Erin Dahnke says her friend didn't even hesitate.
"As soon as he heard the screaming, he ran and jumped in and grabbed that boy out of the water," said Dahnke.
David Jackson says his buddy Paul Worley dove in too.
"He was feeling electric shock and he was going down under. Then the electric shock went away, and he came back up and got the kid again and he got the kid over to another boat," said Jackson.
Worley and six others survived, and were taken to close hospitals.
Sadly one of the boys could not be revived.
"It's such a tragedy. Especially those that jumped in to rescue. Those are special people," said Sheriff Layel.
A TWRA agent says a specialist will be in the water on Thursday to dissect exactly what triggered the shock.
The dock owner told me they don't allow swimming on the dock.
TWRA also says it is dangerous to swim by docks because with all the other boats around, you never know exactly what's in the water.
