Anthony Yates
A woman from Ireland was fatally electrocuted while using her mobile phone in the bathtub. Her husband expressed concern about the phone manufacturer’s claims at an inquest last week.
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What happened: According to a report by the Irish Examiner, authorities pronounced 45-year-old Ann-Marie O’Gorman dead at Beaumont Hospital in Dublin on October 30, 2024. The Dublin District Coroner’s Court held an inquest into her death on September 30, 2025.
- Her husband, Joe O’Gorman, told the court he left home at 6:40 PM to drop his daughter off at an event. He explained that he had a brief conversation with his wife while driving home.
- O’Gorman reportedly entered the bathroom when he arrived, as his wife wanted to know how their daughter was getting on. He told the coroner he found her unresponsive on her side in the bathtub.
- The husband noticed his wife’s iPhone in the bath with the charge cable still attached. He reportedly got a small electric shock as he grabbed it and tossed it into the sink. O’Gorman claimed he noticed red marks on his wife’s hands and chest as he administered CPR.
The Husband Highlighted A Previous Bathtub Incident
An illusion of safety: Joe O’Gorman said he believed he avoided a more significant shock because he was wearing flip-flops at the time. He reportedly described that the iPhone was attached to an extension cord, and the phone was barely in the water.
- Per The Journal, the husband claimed on Tuesday that consumers are lulled into “a false illusion of safety” as mobile phone manufacturers promote that their devices are waterproof. He reportedly complained that there are no warnings about using them near water while charging.
- O’Gorman also drew the court’s attention to a similar incident that occurred in the US in 2017. “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,” he reportedly said.
- Per the Irish Examiner, State pathologist Heidi Okkers attributed the cause of death as electrocution by a charging cable and phone while in a bath. Collins reportedly stressed that people should avoid bringing their phones into the bathroom. “Leave it on a dressing table. It doesn’t matter if it’s being charged or not,” he warned.
