18-year-old on family trip dies after being electrocuted in lake, VA officials say

An 18-year-old died while visiting friends in Virginia when he jumped in a lake that was carrying an electric current, officials said.

The Bedford County Sheriff’s Office identified him as Jesse Hamric of Colorado.

In the early morning hours of July 4, first responders received a call about a potential drowning, deputies said in a news release.

Hamric was on a family trip when he jumped in Smith Mountain Lake near a dock and began to struggle, rescuers told WDBJ.

Two people jumped in the water to save him when they immediately felt an electric shock, deputies said. They helped Hamric out of the water and started performing CPR until first responders arrived and took him to a hospital, where he died, according to the sheriff’s office.

Medical personnel treated the two other individuals and released them.

Electricity at the dock, possibly from a stray voltage, contributed to the incident, Smith Mountain Lake Marine Volunteer Fire Rescue team told WSET.

A medical examiner will determine his cause of death, but officials don’t suspect foul play, the sheriff’s office said.

Hamric was a recent graduate of Steamboat Springs High School.

Smith Mountain Lake is about a 150-mile drive southwest from Richmond.

This story was originally published July 5, 2024 at 12:11 PM with the headline "18-year-old on family trip dies after being electrocuted in lake, VA officials say."