Human deaths from electric eels are extremely rare. However, multiple shocks can cause respiratory or heart failure, and people have been known to drown in shallow water after a stunning jolt.

Will an eel attack a human?

“Eel attacks are quite rare. Basically, eels aren't aggressive to humans,” he said. “If they feel trapped or if a human sticks their foot down in a hole, they may defensively bite.”

Do eels actually shock you?

The organs are made up of special cells called "electrocytes." Electric eels can create both low and high voltage charges with their electrocytes. ... Like the stacked plates of a battery, the stacked electric cells can generate an electrical shock of 500 volts and 1 ampere. Such a shock would be deadly for an adult human!