Company involved in electrocution lawsuit admits it did not have permit for pool repairs

Rachel Rosoff was found in a pool on Valley Forge Road in the Heritage Point neighborhood on Sept. 3 and pulled from the water.

Authorities later determined that a faulty ground wire in the pool's electrical system didn't trip a circuit breaker when the pump motor failed, allowing the water in the pool to become electrified.

Rosoff was a student at Enloe High School, and she worked as a lifeguard at the community pool through the Aquatic Management Group.

The lawsuit, filed by Rosoff’s parents on what would have been her 18th birthday, names Williams Electric Motor Repair, Inc. and Future Connections Electrical, Inc. as defendants.

According to court documents, Williams Electric Motor Repair, Inc. also admitted that it found corroded aluminum wiring at the pool and recommended replacing it. However, that never happened because it says that the Aquatic Management Group said there wasn't enough money in the homeowners association budget.

"There was a known danger and nobody did anything about it," said Adam Neijna, an attorney hired by the Rosoff family. "Rachel didn't have to die."

Under current law, electrical systems at public pools are required to be inspected only when the pools first open, but Rosoff’s family is lobbying for annual electrical inspections.

"There's no question there are pools across the state that are likely unsafe," said David Kirby, another attorney hired by the Rosoff family. "This is a real and present danger, and action should be taken."

House Bill 598, which was filed in April, would require a new electrical inspection for every public swimming pool across North Carolina.

Wake County alone is estimated to have more than 1,100 public pools.