One person dies after electrical incident at Harbourside Place fountain in Jupiter

Maya Washburn, Palm Beach Post
Updated ·2 min read
3

JUPITER — One person is dead following an electrocution incident at the fountain at Harbourside Place in Jupiter on Sunday.

Police did not identify the man, who died at Jupiter Medical Center and was one of eight people injured at the retail and restaurant complex at Indiantown Road and U.S. 1. A department spokesperson said the person's family has invoked its right to privacy under a 2018 state constitutional amendment, allowing it to withhold the victim's name from public reports.

The fountain sits behind the children's splash pad outside the amphitheater at the north end of Harbourside Place. It did not shoot water into the air Tuesday as town officials worked with Harbourside Place and Florida Power & Light Co. to investigate the incident.

No children played in the splash pad, either, two days after Palm Beach County Fire Rescue drove three juvenile patients to St. Mary's Medical Center in West Palm Beach as pediatric trauma alerts. Paramedics also drove another adult to Jupiter Medical Center.

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A call about 3:30 p.m. Sunday brought police and rescue teams to Harbourside Place. Callers to 911 said a juvenile was struggling in the fountain, fire-rescue officials said.

Fire Rescue Capt. Tom Reyes said a child in the fountain “started having a difficult time.” Some people nearby went into the fountain to help the child and were injured.

“No climbing” is printed in caps on three sides of the fountain. A full list of “Harbourside fountain and splash pad rules” is posted to the left of the fountain, with “no swimming/climbing/diving” at the top.

FPL declined to discuss how the electrical problem happened, saying the matter remained under investigation. An attempt to reach town officials was not immediately successful.

Nick Mastroianni, chief executive officer of Harbourside Place, released a statement on the incident saying, "This is a tragedy. Our focus is on the people involved and their families. We ask the community to join us in praying for them."

Outdoor amphitheater and fountain at Harbourside Place in Jupiter.
Outdoor amphitheater and fountain at Harbourside Place in Jupiter.

Maya Washburn covers northern Palm Beach County for The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida-Network. Reach her at mwashburn@pbpost.com. Support local journalism: Subscribe today.

The Harbourside Place shopping complex fountain in Jupiter, Florida on October 24, 2023. One person was killed and four others were hospitalized after an electrical incident there on Sunday afternoon in Jupiter, Florida.
The Harbourside Place shopping complex fountain in Jupiter, Florida on October 24, 2023. One person was killed and four others were hospitalized after an electrical incident there on Sunday afternoon in Jupiter, Florida.
The Harbourside Place shopping complex fountain in Jupiter, Florida on October 24, 2023. One person was killed and four others were hospitalized after an electrical incident there on Sunday afternoon in Jupiter, Florida.
The Harbourside Place shopping complex fountain in Jupiter, Florida on October 24, 2023. One person was killed and four others were hospitalized after an electrical incident there on Sunday afternoon in Jupiter, Florida.
In this photo from November 07, 2015 showing an unidentified child at the fountain at Harbourside Place during a music event. Brianna Soukup / The Palm Beach Post
In this photo from November 07, 2015 showing an unidentified child at the fountain at Harbourside Place during a music event. Brianna Soukup / The Palm Beach Post

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Fountain electrocution kills 1, hurts 4 at Jupiter's Harbourside Place