911 Calls Detail Family Electrocution

Southwest Middle School Student, 15, Among Victims

POSTED: Monday, October 12, 2009
UPDATED: 7:24 pm EDT October 13, 2009

PALM BAY, Fla. -- Three members of a family who were electrocuted by 13,000 volts while trying to erect a radio antenna in Central Florida were identified on Tuesday.

Melville Braham, 55, Anna Braham, 49, and Anthony Braham, 15, were killed in the incident, which occurred at a home at Northeast 778 Alaska Ave. in Palm Bay at about 8:40 p.m. Monday.

Palm Bay rescue officials went to the home after receiving a frantic 911 call from the couple's daughter.

"Oh my God, I need an ambulance quickly," said the couple's daughter who placed the first 911 call. "We were trying to put up an antenna in the back of my grandma's yard and my brother and my mom and my dad were holding it down and something happened and they got electrocuted and they're all laying on the ground."

When firefighters and paramedics arrived, they found the family members on the ground. None of the victims was breathing, officials said.

Rescuers immediately began attempting to revive the victims with CPR and advanced life-support operations. Anna Braham was pronounced dead at the scene; her husband and son were taken to area hospitals and later pronounced dead.

According to witnesses, the Brahams and a 17-year-old family friend were trying to erect a HAM radio antenna in the back yard of the property, which belongs to a relative of the family.

The Brahams' 17-year-old daughter was inside the house at the time of the accident.

The 17-year-old friend was on the roof providing assistance, and said that during the attempt to raise the antenna from the ground, the Brahams lost control of the pole and it struck an overhead power line.

Officials said the impact sent about 13,000 volts of electricity through the antenna while the family still had contact.

"The house is on fire. The house is blowing up," said a woman who placed the second 911 call.

"It happened in an instant," said Palm Bay Fire Marshal Mike Couture. "It is an unfortunate set of circumstances that led to the most tragic result."

Anthony Braham was a student at Southwest Middle School, where grief counselors were available to help classmates.

Messages from students, teachers and staff were posted on a wall at Southwest Middle School on Tuesday as a memorial to the Brahams.

The electrocution also caused a power outage in the area. Florida Power and Light crews also responded to the scene and power has beet shut off while fire investigators and police crime scene technicians gather all essential evidence and document the scene.

Couture and the Palm Bay assistant fire marshal also responded to the scene to conduct an investigation.