Broken conductor contributed to electrocution of Raleigh lifeguard
The failure of a pool pump motor and a broken conductor resulted in the electrocution of a Raleigh lifeguard, according to a Wake County inspection report.
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Rachel Rosoff, 17, was found in a pool on Valley Forge Road in the Heritage Point neighborhood on Sept. 3 and pulled from the water.
Rosoff was a student at Enloe High School, and she worked as a lifeguard at the community pool through the Aquatic Management Group.
A relative told WRAL News that Rosoff was alone at the pool at the time of her death. They believe she was holding a metal bar for support when she reached into the water to check the chemicals.
According to the report released Monday, the motor on the pool pump failed and a portion of the device faulted to ground. When this happened, the current was supposed to travel through a grounded conductor, which was broken and could not conduct the necessary current to trip a breaker and cut off electricity.
“The current then followed the only path available to it, the pool water, creating a voltage gradient across the pool and pool equipment,” the report said.
The Wake County Sheriff’s Office is still investigating the incident.
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