'Waterproof' iPhone in bath leads to fatal electrocution of a mother

A simple evening at home turned into a nightmare for one Dublin family.

A moment of misjudged safety left a mother dead and a household shattered.

The tragedy raises urgent questions about the real dangers of ‘waterproof’ phones.

When Joe O'Gorman left home at 6:40 pm on 30 October 2024 to take his youngest daughter, Megan, to her first disco, he expected a normal family evening.

He briefly spoke to his wife, Ann-Marie, in a 23-second phone call at 7:58 pm, believing she was enjoying a bath as usual.

When he returned home and entered their ensuite, he found her lying unresponsive on her side, a horrifying sight that shattered the calm of the evening.

Initially thinking she had fallen asleep, Joe’s horror intensified when he saw her iPhone in the bathwater.

As he lifted her from the tub, he felt a small electric shock, narrowly avoiding a worse outcome thanks to the flip-flops on his feet.

While performing CPR, he noticed red marks on Ann-Marie’s hands and chest—clear signs of electrical burns that told him the deadly cause.

The setup seemed harmless—a three-metre extension cord plugged into a bedroom socket, with the phone barely touching the water.

Forensic engineer Paul Collins explained that when Ann-Marie reached for the phone, her finger likely contacted a shower attachment, allowing electric current to pass through her body.

Even a small current of two amps, typical for mobile phone chargers, can be fatal.

Water acts as an excellent conductor, and the current disrupted her normal heart rhythm, leading to instant electrocution.

The post-mortem revealed full-thickness burns on her right index finger and thumb, with electrical burns across her chest and left arm, confirming the path of the current.

Ann-Marie, 46, was fit and healthy, attending the gym daily, and managing Von Willebrand disease and Graves’ disease without complications.

Toxicology found no alcohol or drugs, and there was no evidence of drowning, highlighting that the death was purely electrical in nature.

This was not reckless behaviour but a tragic misunderstanding of phone safety—a mistake that could happen to anyone.

Joe O'Gorman pleaded for clearer safety warnings on all electronic devices, saying: 'The only thing you hear about is how these phones are great in up to six feet of water. It gives people the idea that you can have your phone near water. There should be warnings that this is dangerous.'

He referenced similar incidents, including a man who died in London in March 2017 and a child in the United States, both involving baths and charging phones.

The coroner highlighted that bathroom sockets are restricted in the EU for safety reasons, yet extension cords still allow dangerous situations to occur.

Forensic advice was clear: mobile phones should not enter bathrooms under any circumstances.

The coroner returned a verdict of death by misadventure due to the risks of using a mobile phone in a bath.

Ann-Marie’s death underscores how technology, while convenient, can pose deadly risks when its limitations are misunderstood.

This tragic incident highlights how everyday bathroom habits can unexpectedly put us at risk from electrical hazards.

It’s not just phones—small oversights in how we use items in wet areas can lead to dangerous situations.

For another real-life example of how common mistakes in the bathroom can create serious hazards, check out this story.

Read more: Showering wrong can be filthy and dangerous—are you making this common mistake?[/p]

What safety measures do you take with electronic devices in your home, and have you ever considered the risks of charging them near water?