A sorrowful husband has raised an urgent alarm following the tragic death of his wife, who was fatally electrocuted while using a charging mobile phone in a bathtub.
Ann-Marie O’Gorman, a mother of three aged 46, was discovered unconscious by her husband in their family home’s en-suite bathroom in Dublin on October 30, 2024. Regrettably, she was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
During the Dublin District Coroner’s Court hearing, Joe O’Gorman recounted leaving home around 6.40pm to escort their youngest daughter to a disco. He mentioned having a brief 23-second phone call with his wife at 7.58pm while driving back, suspecting she might have been in the bath at that time.
Upon his return, Mr O’Gorman found his wife motionless in the bath, and upon closer inspection, he noticed her iPhone and a cable in the water. He swiftly removed them and attempted to revive her, experiencing a minor electric shock in the process.
Despite suffering from Von Willebrand and Graves’ diseases, Ms. O’Gorman was described as physically fit, regularly exercising at 6 am each day.
Mr O’Gorman expressed disappointment over the lack of warnings on iPhones regarding water exposure risks while charging, emphasizing the need for clearer safety guidelines on electronic device packaging.
State pathologist Dr. Heidi Okkers, who conducted the post-mortem examination, identified electrocution-related burns on Ms. O’Gorman’s body. The cause of death was determined as electrocution due to contact with a charging cable and phone in the bath.
The inquest revealed no defects in the phone, charger, or cable, with the coroner extending sympathies to the bereaved family, acknowledging the incident as a tragic event.
