The El Paso woman critically injured after a deadly hot tub incident at a Mexican resort hotel is a former teacher at the Ysleta Independent School District.
Lizette Zambrano worked as an educator at East Pointe Elementary School until 2022, Tracy Garcia-Ramirez, the district’s director of communications, confirmed to the El Paso Times.
A GoFundMe page was created by friends to help with medical and funeral expenses. The page has raised nearly $36,000 in donations in less than a day.
“Jorge had a heart of gold and was always there for family and friends. The love they shared was one for ages,” states the GofundMe.
Zambrano, along with Jorge Guillen, 43, were both apparently electrocuted Tuesday, June 11, while inside an outdoor jacuzzi next to a swimming pool at private condominiums in Puerto Peñasco, the Sonora State Attorney General’s Office said in a news release.
Guillen died, while Zambrano was transported to a U.S. hospital in critical condition.
Co-organizer of the GoFundMe page, Sylvia Annette Sundermann, said she is currently in Phoenix with Zambrano’s family as they await an update on her condition.
The two were wonderful people, Sundermann said.
While an electrical failure was mentioned by the Sonora State Attorney General’s Office, a cause of Guillen’s death has not been officially determined.
Where is Puerto Peñasco?
This beach town, also known as Rocky Point, is a popular destination for U.S. tourists. It is located on the Gulf of California (also known as the Sea of Cortez) near the Arizona border.
How common is it to be electrocuted in pools or hot tubs?
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, there were 33 injuries and 33 deaths caused by electrocutions from swimming pools and hot tubs in the U.S. between 2002 and 2018.
Hot tub electrocutions are rare, but they can occur due to faulty wiring, improper installation, or the presence of electrical devices near the water. Specific statistics on the frequency of hot tub electrocutions are not widely reported, but they are considered uncommon events.
To minimize the risk, it’s important to ensure that hot tubs are installed and maintained according to safety guidelines, including using ground-fault circuit interrupters, conducting regular inspections, and avoiding using electrical appliances near the hot tub.
Marley Malenfant of the Austin American-Statesman contributed to this story.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Texas woman critically injured in Mexican resort hot tub incident
