Wife thought he was attacked after he suffered burns on his chest, arm and hand

Daily Mail UK ^ | 17 March 2017 | UPDATED: 21:23 EDT | By Amie Gordon

[Swordmaker]

• Coroner to warn Apple over potentially lethal iPhone chargers after man electrocuted himself while charging his phone in the bath
• 32-year-old Richard Bull plugged his iPhone charger into an extension cord
• He rested the phone on his chest while in the bath and electrocuted himself
• Coroner warned the devices can be as dangerous as a hairdryer in a bathroom For Mailonline

A coroner is to warn Apple that iPhone chargers can be potentially lethal after a man was electrocuted in the bath.

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.' 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.'

Mr Bull was getting ready to go out meet family members to exchange Christmas presents when the tragedy happened.

His mother Carole said: 'I have worried that so many people and especially teenagers, that can't be separated from their phones, don't know how dangerous it is.'

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

[tgusa]

:-)

[Western Phil]

Successful merging of water and electricity?
http://www.lrc.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil-Works-Projects/ANS-Portal/Barrier/

[WomBom]

I remember reading about a teenage girl in the states dying the same way over the last year or so... But I don’t remember there being a extension cord involved..

[tgusa]

I worked in the UK and one week the car rental place gave me a new MG (actually was a re-badged Rover, or something). That was the only rental car that gave me problems in my 6 months over there. Fun to drive, though.

[pgkdan]

Coroner to warn Apple over potentially lethal iPhone chargers after man electrocuted himself while charging his phone in the bath 32-year-old Richard Bull plugged his iPhone charger into an extension cord He rested the phone on his chest while in the bath and electrocuted himself Coroner warned the devices can be as dangerous as a hairdryer in a bathroom For Mailonline

Why warn Apple. Sounds like this guy deserves a Darwin Award. Geez! Now I know why our iron came with a warning to not drop it on our feet.

[Hot Tabasco]

Plugging a cell phone charger into the bathroom electrical outlet, attaching the cell phone then dropping it into the tub while hubby is relaxing would be far less suspicious than plugging in the hair dryer then dropping it into the tub, especially if the husband was bald.

I'm calling foul and suggest that the wife murdered him.......

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

[CGASMIA68]

Plus if he had been in the US an outlet in the bathroom would have had GFI protection
Wrong answer.....
Depends on when the home was built.

[jimbug]

Also an entire country that doesn’t know how to attain gender agreement in a sentence.

[beelzepug]

Never had an MG but I’ve owned two Triumph Spitfires. Yes, I’m a slow learner!

[Flick Lives]

Why did the wife think he was attacked in the bathtub? That’s almost as weird as plugging in an extension cord and running it the bathtub.

[mass55th]

If he was that stupid, then he deserves to be dead. And I’d take another look at the wife, since the guy can’t say whether he put it on his chest or not.

[certrtwngnut]

Same here with a Sunbeam Tiger 2 that I owned. When I bought it used for $300.00 it would run but nothing else worked. I remember driving it home in the rain and rubbing tobacco from a cigarette on the windshield so I could see. Once I got it running I loved it. Except when it overheated in warm weather.

[originalbuckeye]

It’s true. There aren’t outlets in British bathrooms. There are small power points for electrics shavers, but that’s it. Ya can’t use a hair dryer in the loo.

[Blue Jays]

Why would anyone have ANY electrical appliance plugged-in anywhere near where they were taking a bath?
I will not even operate a hairdryer if my hands are wet. Good grief. Millenials need to get a grip about being away from their smartphones.

[ConservativeDude]

do they think about it the same was as Germany? ie, that it can come in abundance from windmills and solar?

[Billthedrill]

In 1947 Lucas tried to get Parliament to repeal Ohm’s Law, but they met too much resistance.

[ConservativeDude]

I don’t know about the other stuff, but....pretty sure the Brits don’t know much at all about “high tech” toothbrushes.

Apparently not so much about “low tech” toothbrushes, either.

People in the British Isles used to make fun of American teeth.

I always just shook my head in disbelief.

[21twelve]

If it was me I would sue Apple for not having a big frikin’ warning label on the phone. “This Device Must Not Be Charged While in the Bathtub or Near Any Source of Water Including Sinks, Showers, Ponds, Lakes, Rivers, Streams or anywhere else where the possibility exists that it may get wet while charging. Electrocution, burns or even DEATH may occur. Removal of this warning label is a felony.”

[Moltke]

which means he also had the full voltage and amperage available of the extension cord end laid on his chest where that charger was plugged into it.

You know that how? The article makes no such claim.

Actually, it states:

'We found an iPhone plugged into the extension cable and then the charger element in the bath,'

Meaning, the extension cable WAS NOT in the bath (or on his chest - no one would be quite that stupid when the 'charger element' itself has a cable typically three feet long). Only the 'charger element'. What leads you to claim the opposite?

[Tijeras_Slim]