Officials Claim Corroded Wire Led to Teen’s Death in North Carolina Pool

A report from officials in Wake County, N.C., say a corroded wire sent an electrical current into a swimming pool where a 17-year-old lifeguard was electrocuted and drowned earlier this month.

Rachel Rosoff died at a subdivision swimming pool in Wake County on Sept. 3. A co-worker found Rosoff’s body.

Multiple media outlets reported a review by the Wake County inspections department showed the pool’s pump motor stopped working properly and a corroded wire prevented the flow of electricity that would have tripped a circuit breaker.

The report by Gregory Vance with the inspection department says when the breaker failed to trip. The electricity flowed into the pool water.

County spokeswoman Jennifer Heiss said the county regularly inspects nearly 1,200 pools but that does not include the electrical system or wiring.