On July 4 , 2021 , Peters Township lost a son . Concluding a fun holiday on a friend ’ s boat on the Monongahela River , James DeAngelo dove off the boat ’ s dock into the New Eagle Branch Marina . Sadly , he lost his life within minutes due to an unknown electric current running through the water . It paralyzed him , causing him to drown . DeAngelo ’ s best friend , Josh Hilzendeger , was on the boat and saw him dive into the marina . After a few minutes when he couldn ’ t see his friend anymore , he jumped off the boat and into the water to look for him and was also electrocuted . However , because the boat was between him and the dock , the electrical current wasn ’ t as strong . Hilzendeger sustained injuries but was able to recover from the electric shock .
A third friend , Stefan Aronson , also entered the water to search for DeAngelo but grabbed a life vest before doing so . He was electrocuted more severely than Hilzendeger since he was closer to the dock . He sustained serious injuries and was hospitalized but has since recovered .
As Hilzendeger reflects on that day , he says everything happened so fast . “ No one really knew what was going on . I could feel my body tingling in the water , but I kept diving down to look for James . I just wanted to find him .”
In the two years since DeAngelo passed , Hilzendeger , Aronson and friends Chase Sirera , Chris Doughty , Tony McElroy and Travis Harakal have worked diligently to deal with their grief . “ It ’ s been difficult . We leaned on each other and quickly learned about electric shock drowning ,” says Hilzendeger . “ It ’ s what ultimately took James ’ life . And we ’ ve chosen to make it our mission to educate the public and keep James ’ memory and legacy alive .”
Electric shock drowning ( ESD ) occurs when an electric current flows through a body of water with enough force to cause skeletal muscular paralysis . It may leave the victim paralyzed and unable to float above water , causing the person to drown . It is a silent killer because the electric current cannot be seen or heard .
A couple of months after the accident , Hilzendeger decided to find a way to honor his friend . “ I had always wanted to start my own business . So , I merged that with James ’ passion for hockey and created Legacy 55 , which was his jersey number in high school .
“ Legacy 55 is a clothing line that promotes coming together and representing something bigger than ourselves . A percentage of the profits help support the James DeAngelo Foundation , which is focused on education about ESD and raises awareness about the dangers of swimming in areas where electric current could be near the water .”
Legacy 55 , represented by the six friends , also supports the foundation by hosting the annual James DeAngelo Memorial Golf Outing , which has raised approximately $ 27,000 and $ 23,000 in the past two years , respectively . The foundation has given back to the community via scholarships to Peters Township High School senior hockey players , contributions to the Electric Shock Drowning Association , and a donation to the Peters Township hockey team ’ s locker room renovation project at Printscape Arena . A locker there has been dedicated to DeAngelo .
Legacy 55 staff and some foundation board members have also spoken with PA state representatives to discuss legislation that will enforce placement of signage to alert the public that electricity could be near open bodies of water .
For the six young men who lost their close friend at the age of 23 , life has been altered but also refocused . They say , “ Legacy 55 and the James DeAngelo Foundation provide a platform for everyone to come together as one and honor James . We are thankful God blessed us with him while he was here . Having family , friends and acquaintances support our movement to educate the public about electric shock drowning has given us the strength to keep going and we encourage everyone to leave their own unique legacy like our friend James .”
To learn more and support the James DeAngelo Foundation , visit jamesdeangelo . weebly . com and Legacy 55 at legacy55 . co . n
PETERS TOWNSHIP | AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2023 45