“A coroner is to warn Apple that iPhone chargers can be potentially lethal after a man was electrocuted in the bath,” Amie Gordon reports for The Daily Mail. “Richard Bull from Ealing in west London was pronounced dead by paramedics in his home on December 11. The 32-year-old was found by his wife Tanya, who thought her husband had been attacked because his burns were so severe.”
“At an inquest into his death the coroner issued a warning about using the ‘innocuous devices’ which can be ‘as dangerous as a hairdryer in a bathroom,'” Gordon reports. “Recording a verdict of accidental death, Dr Sean Cummings said: ‘These seem like innocuous devices but can be as dangerous as a hairdryer in a bathroom. ‘They should attach warnings. I intend to write a report later to the makers of the phone.'”
“PC Craig Pattison told the inquest at West London Coroner’s Court how he found the extension lead running from the hallway outside into the bathroom.’ ‘We found an iPhone plugged into the extension cable and then the charger element in the bath,’ he explained,” Gordon reports. “‘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.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Our condolences to Bull’s family and friends.
Apple’s “iPhone User Guide” clearly states: “Failure to follow these safety instructions could result in fire, electric shock, injury, or damage to iPhone or other property. Read all the safety information below before using iPhone… Using damaged cables or chargers, or charging when moisture is present, can cause fire, electric shock, injury, or damage to iPhone or other property.”
