Posted on 10/30/2005 5:51:37 PM PST by aculeus
A US pastor performing a baptism was electrocuted inside his Texas church when he grabbed a microphone while partially submerged, a church employee said.
The Reverend Kyle Lake, 33, was standing in water up to his shoulder in a baptismal in front of 800 people at University Baptist Church when he was electrocuted yesterday, said Jamie Dudley, a church business administrator.
Doctors in the congregation unsuccessfully performed chest compressions for 40 minutes, Dudley said.
The woman Lake was baptising was not injured, Dudley said.
Pastors at University Baptist Church routinely use a microphone during baptisms, Dudley said.
"He was grabbing the microphone so everyone could hear," Dudley said.
"It's the only way you can be loud enough."
About 800 people attended the morning service, which was larger than normal because it was homecoming weekend at nearby Baylor University, Dudley said.
Lake, who had a wife and three children, had been at the church for nine years, the last seven as pastor, Dudley said.
AP
Posting "condolences for the family, to me just means a sign of respect and that someone cares.
Uh, I had Electricity 101 but I can't read your mind. Please explain.
ping
I read somewhere, decades ago that the smallest voltage for which an accidental electrocution has been encountered, is somewhere around 24 volts. If the mike was fed with a 48 volt source having sufficient current capability, and maybe water dribbling off the man's hand trickled down to touch such an energized conductor, that could lead to a heart stopping zap.
It is very possible that the 120vac got onto the mike, but yes, 48vdc can kill under the right circumstances. OTOH, one can hold onto 120vac and not be hurt if one is careful.
Foul play? More like demonic possession. Satan did not want this woman baptized!
There isn't any supernatural component to Maxwell's equations.
As a live sound engineer, I thought I should try to clear a few things up. First of all, a microphone is typically wired directly to the input of a mixing console, via a snake (bundled microphone cables) or in-wall microphone cables. The microphone goes to the console, not to a wall outlet. The current that electrocuted the pastor was almost certainly 48-volt "phantom power". Phantom power is sent from the mixing console to power certain types of microphones (condensers). This is typically switchable on mixers - you can turn phantom power on or off. Most handheld vocal microphones are "dynamic" microphones and do not have any need for phantom power. But most low- and mid-cost mixers only allow switching of phantom power "globally" - meaning for all channels (microphones) at the same time, rather than the more expensive option of switching "per channel". So if -any- of the church's microphones require phantom power, it would have been turned on, and likely turned on to -all- microphones. Normally this is not a problem, as dynamic microphones simply ignore the phantom power. It can, however, be a danger in certain situations.
For example, if the sound system had a 60 hertz "ground loop" hum problem, one (unsafe) solution is to put "ground lift" devices on power cables at the wall outlet. These are the little grey plugs which take a three-prong (grounded) plug and turn it into a two-prong (ungrounded) plug. It sometimes fixes a hum problem, but it removes the chassis (safety) ground from the equipment to which it is attached. Combine a missing ground, 48V phantom power, and a pastor holding a microphone while standing in water, and you can end up with a problem.
Or someone just randomly had the switch turned to that setting - if as you say it's harmless to mikes that don't need the power.
If the ground of the system actually wasn't connected to ground at all as you suggest possible, whence would the current loop be completed?
Mine wears ordinary washable pants.
Well , a lot of them will probably be wearing waders now.
If the ground of the system actually wasn't connected to ground at all as you suggest possible, whence would the current loop be completed?
I'm no electrician, just a sound guy, but I'll give it a crack...
I -think- that if the mixer's ground is properly connected, that safety ground also protects the microphone. Like a power cord, a microphone cord contains three conductors, and they are hot, neutral, and ground. So normally the unused phantom power returns to the mixer via the ground wire, and this would be a shorter path to ground than through a person. If this path is removed, it's looking for a path to ground, and a person holding the microphone and standing in water, complete with metal drains and/or lights, heaters, etc., may become the shortest path to ground.
As for having phantom power on without needing it, that is entirely possible. If they run a "contemporary" service (full band), though, it is likely that they are using at least one or two condenser microphones that require phantom power.
This young pastor was performing a most sacred act, that which even Jesus did to please his father, baptism.
For you to invoke the trite Darwin nominee phrase is beyond the pale.
God will not be mocked. I, for your sake, hope that you will reflect upon your post.
Great catch. Have we ever done a Twilight Zone thread here? That guy was so far ahead of his time, it's incredible.
...</SARCASM>...
To make sure my meaning is perfectly clear, highlight the above line (between the ... ...s)
Some wear hip waders like duck hunters use.
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