A Colorado high school football player is dead after jumping into a Virginia lake believed to have been electrified.
18-year-old Jesse Hamric was celebrating the Fourth of July holiday with family and friends at a private home with a dock bordering on Smith Mountain Lake in Huddleston and reportedly began struggling right after jumping into the water.
Two of his friends jumped in to save him and claimed to have felt an electric shock. Jesse was eventually extracted and received CPR but died at a local hospital later in the day.
Hamric and his two pals were all suspected to have been electrocuted, per local authorities. According to a report from the Daily Mail, the water was tested, and electricity was found.
Water can become electrified when faulty wiring releases energy into it. This can be caused by boats or docks. A boat lift near the scene could be responsible for the electricity, and investigators also believe that stray voltage from the privately owned dock could have caused it.
Jesse Hamric, 18, of Colorado, was at a Fourth of July gathering with family and friends where he was killed after he jumped into what may have been an electrified lake in Virginia and drowned
R.I.P. 🙏 pic.twitter.com/FBZAtSQVYP
— True Crime Updates (@TrueCrimeUpdat) July 6, 2024
High School Football Jesse Hamric Had Recently Graduated
Hamric was a two-sport athlete at Steamboat Springs High School in Colorado. His father, Jay, is the principal there, while his mother teaches at a nearby elementary school.
The teenager played high school football and baseball, and a look at his Instagram account suggests he was very fond of snowboarding. He graduated from the school a month ago.
“We are deeply saddened by the passing of a recent Steamboat Springs High School graduate,” the institution wrote after learning of Jesse’s passing, also offering mental health counseling in its wake.
“Please take a moment to care for yourself, lean into those around you for support, and care for each other. Our thoughts are with all of you.”
The friends who tried rescuing Hamric were treated for injuries at the scene and released.
TPS extends condolences to the youngster’s family, friends, and loved ones.
