Pennsylvania lawmakers working to require new safety features on boat docks

WASHINGTON COUNTY, Pa. — Lawmakers are working to require new safety features on Pennsylvania boat docks after a young man’s life was cut short.

At just 23 years old, James DeAngelo was full of life.

“He was getting ready to get engaged to be married, he just graduated college, he had a super bright future,” said Sherry Knoblock who is a family friend.

Three years have passed since he died after being electrically shocked jumping into the Mon River in Washington County. It’s called electric shock drowning.

“I had never even heard of this before, but it happens too regularly and it’s very sudden and unexpected. No warning signs to let you know that this may occur,” said Sen. Camera Bartolotta.

That’s why Bartolotta is proposing new legislation that would require all boat docks and marinas to have ground protection from these electric failures, annual inspections of these facilities and permanent signage to warn patrons of what could happen.

“It’s pretty prevalent and I just think people need to be fully aware of it. This legislation at least puts signage on all the different marinas public and private just to bring people some awareness of eh maybe I’m not going to jump off the boat,” Bartolotta said.

Knoblock is excited for the potential change, but she’s also pushing for more. She tried to get a bill passed in the House to require these facilities to also have AEDs to help revive anyone who gets shocked. She’s hoping the Senator considers it as an element of her bill too.

“What’s going to happen if the same tragedy happens again? We still don’t have AEDs, emergency phones there to reach out to somebody to get help. An AED is the life-saving thing that they need,” Knoblock said.

Bartolotta told Channel 11 that the bill is just circulating to garner interest with her co-sponsor Sen. Jay Costa, she hopes to make progress when they return to session on Monday.

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