The Victims Burns

A teenage girl was electrocuted when her smartphone fell into the bath while charging.

The 13-year-old girl screamed out in pain after the phone sparked in the water, prompting her mum to run into the bathroom.

The Dutch girl was pulled out of the bath by her mother, who called the emergency services when her child was clear of the bathtub.

When paramedics arrived at the home they punched the girl in the sternum in a successful bid to wake her up.

She spent two days in hospital where she later received surgery to help heal the deep burns on her hands and stomach.

The unnamed teenager’s lucky escape has inspired doctors at Vrije Universiteit Medical Center in Amsterdam, where she was treated, to write about the dangers of using phones in the bath.

“Risks of electrical devices in household use are underestimated,” they wrote in the Journal of Medical Case Reports.

“Although products are thoroughly tested and certified, they pose a great danger if used inappropriately.

“A severe electrical burn injury can cause destructive injury with high morbidity, lifelong scars and even death.”
Although the doctors did not accompany their warning with specific figures, they said growing smartphone usage amongst minors was making them more prone to electric shocks.

The unnamed teenager’s lucky escape has inspired doctors at Vrije Universiteit Medical Center in Amsterdam, where she was treated, to write about the dangers of using phones in the bath.