Fake news story? "Girl Dies from Iphone bath tube electrocution"?

Thread Starter

Antivorg

Joined Oct 21, 2016
0
Article:
http://www.ladbible.com/news/news-t...qfHIvPxfqaryJKk6rUTes-fhWNtrBMhsWLzuNxkmWxGnw

I may be grossly mistaken, but a phone surely doesn't have a remotely high enough voltage potential to kill you. I assumed it was misreporting on the specifics of the girl's death. However, this article quotes an article from The Sun which mirrors the exact same circumstances of death. Does anyone have any idea what's going on here?
 

AlbertHall

Joined Jun 4, 2014
12,345
The iphone was being charged. Now if that charger was plugged into the mains we have a possible source of enough electricity especially as she was in the bath - therefore wet skin.
 

Reloadron

Joined Jan 15, 2015
7,501
Article:
http://www.ladbible.com/news/news-t...qfHIvPxfqaryJKk6rUTes-fhWNtrBMhsWLzuNxkmWxGnw

I may be grossly mistaken, but a phone surely doesn't have a remotely high enough voltage potential to kill you. I assumed it was misreporting on the specifics of the girl's death. However, this article quotes an article from The Sun which mirrors the exact same circumstances of death. Does anyone have any idea what's going on here?
This story recently surfaced in another thread. Allegedly the girl died of electrocution in the State of Texas, USA. There are a few versions out there as to what actually happened and under what exact circumstances. Missing is a coroner report as to actual cause of death or information from any reputable source like local police, fire or rescue. Additionally if the bath area of the house was meeting code any and all bathroom fixtures and electrical outlets should have had GFCI protection but no mention is made of anything.

Now this story makes reference to Irina Rybnikova, 15, was found dead in the water at her home in Bratsk, Russia, after taking a bath with her iPhone on charge. Maybe we are just having a rash of 15 year old girls bathing with their I Phones and dying of electrocution which I really don't see as likely. Take all of it for what it's worth and try not to be gullible.

One heck of a coincidence so go figure. :)

Ron
 

Thread Starter

Antivorg

Joined Oct 21, 2016
0
The iphone was being charged. Now if that charger was plugged into the mains we have a possible source of enough electricity especially as she was in the bath - therefore wet skin.
Sure the charger can supply a large current, but the charger (past the converter) is only 5V, 5V can’t kill you
 

#12

Joined Nov 30, 2010
18,224
Sure the charger can supply a large current, but the charger (past the converter) is only 5V, 5V can’t kill you
I'm with you on that one! You could stick one end of 5V in your mouth and the other end anywhere you like, and you'd be lucky to get an uncomfortable tingle. There MUST be another source of higher voltage or this is a hoax.
 

Reloadron

Joined Jan 15, 2015
7,501
OK, so my smart phone charger doesn't have a long enough cord. I plug my charger into an extension cord then I drag my mains powered extension cord with my charger plugged into it into the bathtub and place it on the rim of the tub.

"Splish, splash, I was takin' a bath
Long about a Saturday night, yeah
A rub dub, just relaxin' in the tub
Thinkin' everythin' was alright"

Credit and thanks to Bobby Darin...

Then it happened, my phone buzzes and vibrates into the tub along with my charger and remaining extension cord. I can't move, I am like frozen as my muscles clench and I convulse. My respiration ceases and I see a bright light and walk towards the light. I hear a click, that was my bathroom outlet killing the power right as the power was killing me. Wow, those GFCI things really work.

Here is one take. This one includes an extension cord just like my explanation and the victim is in New Mexico. I have seen it with an I-Phone and a Samsung Edge so take your pick.

Here is another take based on this thread.

Maybe it's the dawn of the attack killer smart phones? Maybe it's just coincidence?

Ron
 

cmartinez

Joined Jan 17, 2007
8,219
The iphone was being charged. Now if that charger was plugged into the mains we have a possible source of enough electricity especially as she was in the bath - therefore wet skin.
Especially if the charger was connected to an extension chord... in which case electrocution is guaranteed
 

WBahn

Joined Mar 31, 2012
29,978
I also suspect it's a hoax, or at least a very poorly researched story.

Yes, 5 V is potentially capable, barely, of pushing lethal currents but the circumstances would be extremely unlikely to occur (and I don't know that they ever actually have). You'd basically have to stick needle electrodes through the skin and into the right tissues so as to have a good, low impedance path (less than about 100 Ω, which is doable) across the heart and/or cardiac nerve pathways.
 

ericgibbs

Joined Jan 29, 2010
18,766
My advice is that you should never consider sticking a powered electrical connector into any one of your bodily orifices. [or anyone else's for that matter ]:eek:
 

ebp

Joined Feb 8, 2018
2,332
I have certainly seen switchmode wall warts from China that I regard as grossly unsafe. Though they might have fake safety agency markings on them, they wouldn't pass the requirements of any safety agency anywhere in the world. "Creepage" and "clearance" distances between the high voltage and low voltage sides is often far too little for safety and mechanical construction is such that turning a too-short distance into an electrical short between high & low voltage sides wouldn't take much. Compare the construction of a genuine Apple phone charger cube with that of some of the copies.
 

ebp

Joined Feb 8, 2018
2,332
see Eating Raoul regarding the perils of electrical appliances in tubs - not to mention the perils of cast iron frying pans
 

DickCappels

Joined Aug 21, 2008
10,152
About a year ago in Thailand a teen-age girl took her cell phone into the bathtub while connected to the charger, which was plugged into a frayed extension cord that went into the bathtub. Apparently she came in contact with a live conductor in the frayed cord while in the tub -the news article mentioned burns on her body. People around here are not aware of the dangers of electrocution though such cases make the national news several times a month.

Related: Poorly made chargers are a problem too. Maybe 10 years ago a boy was electrocuted here while playing with his Gameboy. using a charger that upon investigation was found so use a transformer that did not have any gap or heavy insulation between the primary and secondary.
 

Reloadron

Joined Jan 15, 2015
7,501
A little off topic but since it was local to me I remember it well.

19-year-old dies after electrocution accident on Put-in-Bay

Never did find out the outcome of the investigation. I do recall an inspection of shore power connection found nothing unusual leaving only the boat. While not a phone charger in a bathtub this incident did result in a death. When the kid was convulsing in the water they claim he yelled electricity and fortunately other boaters were yelling to the woman unplug it, unplug it. Put-in-bay is a real popular summer area on one of Lake Erie's islands. During the summer the mariners are packed with boats.

Ron
 

wayneh

Joined Sep 9, 2010
17,496
A little off topic but since it was local to me I remember it well.

19-year-old dies after electrocution accident on Put-in-Bay

Never did find out the outcome of the investigation. I do recall an inspection of shore power connection found nothing unusual leaving only the boat. While not a phone charger in a bathtub this incident did result in a death. When the kid was convulsing in the water they claim he yelled electricity and fortunately other boaters were yelling to the woman unplug it, unplug it. Put-in-bay is a real popular summer area on one of Lake Erie's islands. During the summer the mariners are packed with boats.

Ron
Odd that such a thing can happen in fresh water. Well, as fresh as Lake Erie water.
 
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