Latest Darwin award - Killed by charging phone in bath

[MrSquished]

This happened in the UK. I know nothing about electricity but it would seem the juice coming through the charging cable for a phone would not be enough to kill you. But this is in the UK where the juice is stronger than the US. I wonder what would happen here/

I'm not stupid enough to try it. Nothing charging is getting in with me into a body of water.

https://www.cnet.com/news/man-dies-after-charging-iphone-in-bath-electrocution/


"Richard Bull was found dead in the bathtub.

His wife found him with severe burns to his body at their home in London.

As the Daily Mail reports, when police arrived at the scene they found an extension cord leading into the bathroom from the hallway.

"We found an iPhone plugged into the extension cable and then the charger element in the bath," PC Craig Pattinson told an inquiry into Bull's death.

He added: "The extension cable was on the floor and it appeared as though he had his phone charger on his chest and the part between the phone charger and the cable had made contact with the water."

The inquest concluded that 32-year-old Bull's death was caused accidental electrocution. However, the coroner, a public official who investigates suspicious, sudden or violent deaths, said he was extremely concerned that people didn't realize that phones were as dangerous near water as, say, hairdryers."

 

[Red Squirrel]

From my understanding it was actually the mains cord that went in the bath, and even then chances are good most of the amperage would be traveling between the prongs. So he had to be doing something REALLY stupid to get a shock that way. Also it was probably not plugged into a GFCI outlet. What's funny is how they are blaming Apple for this. The phone is not even in the picture at this point, this could have happened without it.

Definitely an idiot there lol.

That said some really cheap non isolated chargers can be dangerous as they may actually have more than 5v potential to ground as they won't be isolated and just use a capacitive dropper circuit.

 

[JMC2000]

Is it that important to have your phone with you all the time?

It's bad enough that one would take their phone into the bath with them, but to also have it charging?

I swear, it won't be an asteroid that wipes out humanity, it will be cell phones.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Is it that important to have your phone with you all the time?

It's bad enough that one would take their phone into the bath with them, but to also have it charging?

I swear, it won't be an asteroid that wipes out humanity, it will be cell phones.

Lol yeah I can't even imagine trying to use a mobile device in the bath. Trying not to get it wet etc. I can live without it.

 

[elitejp]

You blame apple because thats where the money is when you try to sue.

 

[Red Squirrel]

You blame apple because thats where the money is when you try to sue.

That's sadly the truth. Shows how ridiculous the system is. I'm no Apple fan, but this is not even close to their fault.

 

[tynopik]

it's apple's fault for attempting to make their phones water resistant

if their phones weren't water resistant, he never would have tried to charge it in the bath

on the other hand, it was reported by the Daily Fail, so we know it didn't actually happen as described

 

[JMC2000]

The coroner, Dr. Sean Cummings, told the inquiry: "They should attach warnings. I intend to write a report later to the makers of the phone."

I'm pretty sure there are warnings on the box, in the manual, and pictographs on the charger that you should not immerse it in water.

It should be common sense that water and electricity don't mix, yet common sense isn't all that common.

The Mail quoted Bull's brother Andrew as saying: "I live in the US and they say it can't happen, and that there is not enough electricity. But in the UK it is enough. You don't think there is enough electricity but there is."

Correct me if I'm wrong, but haven't people in the US died from hairdryers, radios, curling irons, and corded razors falling into baths?

 

[SKORPI0]

I think there was an episode in MythBusters where they tried something similar to it.

 

[WelshBloke]

Lol yeah I can't even imagine trying to use a mobile device in the bath. Trying not to get it wet etc. I can live without it.

I use mine in the bath all the time, it seems to be decently water resistant.

Obviously I don't plug it into the mains while I'm in there, that's just mental.

 

[zinfamous]

Is it that important to have your phone with you all the time?

It's bad enough that one would take their phone into the bath with them, but to also have it charging?

I swear, it won't be an asteroid that wipes out humanity, it will be cell phones.

His plan was to fap in the bathtub to porn streamed on his iphone.

 

[Ichinisan]

What's funny is how they are blaming Apple for this.

I didn't read the OP's link, but nothing in the excerpt indicates that Apple was blamed. Did you read something that blamed Apple?

[edit]
Yeah. I clicked the link and I see where the guy said "there should be a warning." Is it necessary to put such a warning on every charger, every package, every device? Really?

You don't put AC power in the bathtub with you. Period.

"WARNING: DO NOT ELECTROCUTE YOURSELF."

 

[Ichinisan]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but haven't people in the US died from hairdryers, radios, curling irons, and corded razors falling into baths?

I think so. The person in that quote is probably not understanding that the charger's output is the same in both regions. It was the AC input that got exposed to the water.

 

[JMC2000]

His plan was to fap in the bathtub to porn streamed on his iphone.

Waterproof case + suction cup mount.

 

[JoeBleed]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but haven't people in the US died from hairdryers, radios, curling irons, and corded razors falling into baths?

Yes they have. Plenty of current and electricity here in the US. People that say these things don't understand how electricity can kill you.

 

[Stopsignhank]

Some people just don't understand.

 

[JMC2000]

Some people just don't understand.

I remember the first time I saw that, I was hoping that the surge protector would fall into the pool.

Yeah, kinda heartless, but stupidity of that level...

 

[Captante]

Was going to say unbelievable but then realized I had no trouble at all!

This is why they have to put labels warning to keep fingers clear of blades until they stop moving on blenders, food processors etc.

 

[mikeymikec]

Imagine being married to someone that dense. After that (assuming they survived), I think the most advanced tool I would trust them with is a spoon. A plastic one of course.

 

[tynopik]

Waterproof case + suction cup mount.

but what if your phone is about out of charge? WHAT THEN?

 

[JMC2000]

Was going to say unbelievable but then realized I had no trouble at all!

This is why they have to put labels warning to keep fingers clear of blades until they stop moving on blenders, food processors etc.

But, c'mon, Common Sense would tell one that a spinning or rotating sharp blade is something one shouldn't touch whilst it is spinning or rotating.

Especially if that blade is used to cut/crush metal, wood or ice.

but what if your phone is about out of charge? WHAT THEN?

I ALWAYS make sure my phone is fully charged before a session. The charger cord can get in the way, and it ain't gonna be pretty.

 

[nathanddrews]

"A British man plugged his iPhone into an outlet via an extension cord and appears to have rested the charger on his chest in the bath."

It wouldn't have mattered what was plugged into it, his arse was cooked before he even knew what hit him.

 

[DannyBoy]

The guy actually had the extension resting on his chest while he was holding / using his phone.

Idiot.

 

[JMC2000]

The guy actually had the extension resting on his chest while he was holding / using his phone.

Idiot.

Well see, he probably thought that his chest was so rugged, that there was an infinitesimally small chance that it would fall into the water. No serious risk of death.

 

[momeNt]

Guys seriously? A man died today, and we are all caught up in how he could be so stupid, or trying to picture just how the cord was oriented in order to electrocute. Why can't we just stop for a second and just laugh? What is wrong with us?

LOL.