Russian Woman Dies After iPhone Falls in Bathtub While It Was Charging

Paramedics confirmed that Olesya Semenova was electrocuted to death after her phone fell in the water while it was plugged into an outlet.

In this photo illustration a woman holds the new iPhone 12 in her hands
Getty

Image via Getty/Stanislav Kogiku/SOPA Images/LightRocket

In this photo illustration a woman holds the new iPhone 12 in her hands

A Russian woman died after her iPhone fell in the tub while she was bathing, the Toronto Sun reports

Olesya Semenova was found dead by her roommate in their Arkhangelsk apartment. The woman tried to revive her before contacting emergency responders. 

"I screamed, shook her, but she was pale, not breathing, and showing no signs of life," her roommate told the emergency operator. She claimed that she felt an "electric shock" when she touched Semenova and that her iPhone 8 was in the water next to her charging. 

Paramedics confirmed that Semenova was electrocuted to death after her phone fell in the water while plugged into an outlet. 

"The tragedy reminds us once again that water and an electrical device connected to the electricity grid are incompatible," the Russian Emergency Ministry said following the incident.

Normally, if one were to drop any late series iPhone in water, not much would happen. Although an iPhone 8 isn't waterproof, it is resistant to damage in 3 feet of water for close to 30 minutes. But if it's hooked up to an electrical source, it becomes a conductor and should be kept away from any water. 

"The same applies to any mobile device. If you drown a smartphone, the worst thing is its failure," the ministry continued. "But when it is connected to the network, we see what the consequences are."

Latest in Life