Peninsula Man Electrocuted In Pool After Jumping In To Save Daughter

PALM SPRINGS, CA- A Peninsula man was electrocuted when he jumped into a pool to rescue his daughter over the weekend in Southern California, the Riverside County coroner's office reported Tuesday.

James Tramel, 43, of Burlingame, died at Desert Regional Medical Center, where he was taken after being zapped by an electrical current, along with his daughter and several other children and adults, in a Palm Springs pool during a family gathering at a home, police report.

Police said that at about 4 p.m. Sunday, Tramel jumped into the pool after seeing his 9-year-old daughter being electrically shocked. Tramel and the girl were both reportedly turning blue when they were pulled from the pool by family members, who administered CPR before police and firefighters arrived.

Tramel was pronounced dead at 4:42 p.m. Sunday, and his daughter remains in critical condition at Loma Linda Medical University, according to authorities.

"Other children were in the pool but far enough away from the faulty equipment that they were able to get out of the pool safely," according to police.

Those others were still taken to the hospital, though, and one of them– a 10-year-girl– remains in stable condition at Loma Linda Medical University. A 6-year-old boy, 6-year-old girl, 8-year-old girl and 45-year-old woman were all treated and released from the hospital on Sunday.

Though the cause of the tragedy remains under investigation, authorities believe it was likely an issue with pool wiring that led to the electric current being released into the water.

"PSPD and PSFD believe the electrocution occurred as a result of faulty pool wires," police said.

– City News Service contributed to this report.