Hand held probe for detecting the presence of voltage in bodies of water

A hand held probe (200) for detecting voltage in a body of water includes voltage sensors (VS) installed in a probe head (204) with each sensor separately sensing a voltage present in the water and supplying an electrical output signal representative of the voltage level. A processor (206) processes the signals and produces an output representing a voltage gradient, a resultant electrical current, and a direction of current flow. A multiplexer (214) interposed between the sensors and processor transmits signals from the sensors to the processor in a predetermined sequence. Results of the processing including any voltage gradient, the resultant electrical current, and the direction of current flow are displayed and this information is used to determine if a currently dangerous or potentially dangerous condition exists in the water, and if a voltage is present in the water, its source.