A boat trip at one of Colombia’s most popular tourist spots ended in tragedy Tuesday when a woman was electrocuted near the dock at El Peñol.
Marlene Anatalia Canaan de Lora, a 45-year-old visitor from the Dominican Republic, died after her tour boat came into contact with power lines hanging too low over the water. Three other passengers were injured in the incident.
The accident happened Tuesday afternoon as the boat was returning to the dock at the Peñol-Guatapé reservoir. According to the El Peñol police and volunteer fire department, the boat passed under electrical cables that were strung at a dangerously low height. One of the passengers grabbed onto a cable while trying to keep their balance, and the electrical shock spread to everyone on board.
Emergency crews arrived quickly and took the injured to Hospital San Juan de Dios in El Peñol. Doctors tried to save Canaan de Lora, but she died from her injuries. Police confirmed that she was not the person who touched the cable.
The three injured passengers included José David Lora, who suffered serious burns on both arms. He was moved to a larger hospital in Rionegro for better treatment. The other two injured people, César Estrella Paulin (26) and Carlos Manuel Martínez Ureña (35), had less serious burns and cuts.
Questions About Tourist Safety in Guatape
The accident has people asking serious questions about safety at the reservoir, which thousands of tourists visit every year. Many travelers book Medellin Tours that include boat rides on the lake, along with visits to the colorful town of Guatapé and the famous Piedra del Peñol rock.
Local officials are now investigating whether the electrical cables met safety standards. They want to know who is responsible for allowing the wires to hang so low over an area where tourist boats pass constantly.
The news outlet DiariOriente tried to get comments from the El Peñol town government and from Empresas Públicas de Medellín (EPM), the company that handles the power lines in the area. Neither one responded to their requests.
Guatape is Medellin Tourist’s Most Popular Destination
The Guatapé area sits about two hours from Medellin and attracts visitors from all over the world. People come to climb the 740 steps up Piedra del Peñol for amazing views, walk through the brightly painted streets of Guatapé, and take boat tours around the reservoir.
The lake was created decades ago when a dam flooded the original town of El Peñol. Today, boat tours take visitors past submerged ruins, fancy lakeside homes, and small islands scattered across the water.
This tragedy shows that even popular tourist areas can have serious safety problems. While investigators work to figure out what went wrong and who should be held accountable, the incident raises concerns about how well these sites are inspected and maintained.
Canaan de Lora’s body is at the forensic medicine office while the investigation continues. The case serves as a reminder that basic safety measures can mean the difference between a fun day trip and a fatal accident.
