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 got into 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 officers later attributed to a voltage surge coming from a dock at a nearby residence. Firefighters also tested the water and detected electricity, WDBJ reported.
Officers said the friends, who suffered minor injuries, were able to pull Hamric from the water and performed CPR until first responders arrived at the scene around 4 a.m.
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Jesse Hamric, 18, (center) was visiting friends in Virginia with his family when he died after jumping into Smith Mountain Lake outside Roanoke. (GoFundMe)
Hamric was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead, deputies said, according to Steamboat Pilot & Today. His death is being investigated as an accident.
The owner of the residence where the power 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 Chief Deputy Ray Talley told WDBJ.
Hamric was a football and baseball player at Steamboat Springs High School in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, and had recently graduated, according to Steamboat Pilot & Today.
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Jesse Hamric's death is being investigated as an accident. (iStock)
A GoFundMe page was set up to support the family and fund the Jesse Cyrus Hamric Foundation for Courage and Love. The fundraising campaign had raised more than $72,000 as of early Monday morning.
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“Please join us in supporting the beloved Hamric family,” the fundraising message said. “They are true servants of our community who make life in Steamboat Springs better with all they do and who they are. Jesse was a dear friend who brought light and positivity wherever he went, and he will be missed every day.”
