Skip to main content

Most DIYers and internal combustion enthusiasts know a few hard and fast rules. One of the top five rules is certainly that electricity and water don’t mix. But it looks like Rodney of Washington state missed the boat.

It was a hot August day in 1999, and he was zipping around Lake Washington. But over time, he had a sinking feeling his watercraft’s battery was starting to fail. What did he do? He idled back to shore to fix the problem, of course.

Rodney ended up docking near Juanita Beach Park, which had a 110-volt outlet. He retrieved his 12-volt battery charger from his car. I’m impressed this guy is handy enough to have a charger like that while on the go. He plugged in the charger, stretched the cable down the dock, and jumped onto his wet jet ski.

What happened? Well, his setup didn’t have enough juice to electrify all of Lake Washington. My guess is that there was enough moisture on the jet ski and its seat to act as a conductor, and the live battery charger was enough to “charge up” Rodney.

The result was equal parts tragedy and irony. That evening, the boater was found floating facedown beneath the dock. He was awarded the 1999 “Darwin Award,” given to those who remove themselves from the gene pool in spectacular fashion.

Sadly, Rodney is no more. But the rest of us can learn from his mistake. With more vehicles going electric, it’s a vital reminder to be cautious around voltage. It doesn’t take much to sink you fast.

Best in Marine
Avatar photo
Staff Writer

Henry Cesari

Henry Cesari joined MotorBiscuit in 2021 and brings his deep interest in vintage cars, trucks, and motorcycles to the site. Having restored his first classic car at just 16 years old, Henry has wrenched on everything from overland campers to Japanese motorcycles and even pre-war Bugattis. Henry is also an avid attendee at local car shows and genuinely enjoys connecting with fellow auto enthusiasts.

Henry earned a Bachelor’s in Anthropology and English from the University of Vermont. He has since incorporated his love of the written word with his admiration of classic cars. While Henry is interested in vintage cars, he believes the golden age of cars is yet to come. He is confident journalists will play an important role in this revolution by exposing the industry as it is now and envisioning its possible future.