Underwater welder here; actually fresh water does not conduct electricity very well but salt water does because the dissolved salts (sodium, magnesium and potassium salts) are electrolytes, meaning they have the ability to conduct electricity. Our bodies need electrolytes for our nervous system to function so we are slightly salty; think of our blood, sweat and tears. When immersed in fresh water (like a bath tub), any electrical current "sees" our body as a better conductor than the fresh water so the current would prefer to travel through our body than the surrounding water. Put bath salts in your tub and now our body is less of a conductor (but stray electricity can still give you some tingles).
My father who was a cop told me that "Cop" stands for Constable on Patrol and comes from a time when cops would walk in pairs around the down town in old timey days.
Frogman400 t1_iyd29ja wrote
Reply to ELI5: How does electricity shock us in water? by thebiggestbirddd
Underwater welder here; actually fresh water does not conduct electricity very well but salt water does because the dissolved salts (sodium, magnesium and potassium salts) are electrolytes, meaning they have the ability to conduct electricity. Our bodies need electrolytes for our nervous system to function so we are slightly salty; think of our blood, sweat and tears. When immersed in fresh water (like a bath tub), any electrical current "sees" our body as a better conductor than the fresh water so the current would prefer to travel through our body than the surrounding water. Put bath salts in your tub and now our body is less of a conductor (but stray electricity can still give you some tingles).