14-year-old Madison Coe sadly passed away after using her cellphone inside the bathroom, warning parents about the dangers of electronics being used near water.
She was charging the phone in the bathroom
Madison, who lives with her mom in Texas, was visiting her father in New Mexico when tragedy struck.
“Madison was the light of my life,” her father, Logan shared. “When she came into this world, it was through an emergency C-section. That was the scariest 15 minutes of my life — until now.”
According to reports, she went to take a bath, and was charging her phone, which was plugged into an extension cord. For one reason or another, she reached out to get her phone, which caused her to get electrocuted. According to the coroner’s report, she was found with a burn mark on her hand, and her cause of death was due to electrocution.
Her family wants to spread awareness about being careful around electricity
Her stepmother, Felicia Owen shares, “It was not abnormal for Madison to spend two or two and a half hours in the bathtub. She went to take a bath around 10:30 or 11 at night and we decided around midnight to go to bed, and I went in to tell her it was time to get out. I knocked on the door and she didn’t answer. I went on in, and when I first saw her I thought she was asleep. She was in the bathtub. I took a closer look and immediately realized she wasn’t asleep. I started screaming for her dad.”
Her father, who was a medical technician, desperately tried to revive her, but was unsuccessful. Sadly, Madison was pronounced dead at the hospital.
In spite of the tragedy, her family wants to her death to serve as a reminder about being careful around electricity.
“We need to make people aware that this is just as dangerous as the warnings on irons and curling irons, or any electrical appliance, being near water. You don’t think about your cellphone charger,” shared Madison’s mother, Angela O’Guinn-Downs.
Her father adds, “A lot of people are saying a cellphone can’t electrocute you. I’m here to say that it can and it did …. We cannot live our lives in a protected bubble but we can at least put that cellphone down, and step away from electronics when we are in the bathroom.”
Be careful with electric devices at home
Electricity and water clearly don’t mix. However, with devices such as cellphones and other gadgets being commonplace, a lot of people tend to forget that these devices are powered by electricity, and can cause harm if used improperly.
That’s why it’s important to always teach your kids to be safe around electricity at home. Here are some tips:
- Never touch any electric device if your hands or feet are wet. There is a high chance that you can get electrocuted, and it’s best to dry yourself first before touching anything that’s plugged in.
- Make sure to cover any open sockets, and teach your kids to never touch any plugs, or any exposed cables. Electricity is useful, but it can be deadly. Teaching your kids to respect electricity is important if you want to keep them safe.
- Never leave any device charging for too long. You might be used to charging your phone overnight, but the risk there is that it might overload your device, and cause a fire or get short-circuited while you’re asleep. If you’re going out, make sure to unplug all electrical devices at home to avoid fires.
- Make sure that all electrical wiring in your home is safe, that way, you’re sure that there will be no sudden electrical surges that can cause short circuits that can potentially start a fire.
- Water and electricity don’t mix. Make sure that your kids know to keep well away from any wet electric devices, and to never place any electrical device under water. Water is a conductor of electricity, and can carry a deadly amount of electricity into a person’s body.
Source: today.com
READ: Mother shares story of how excessive gadget use caused her daughter to have seizures
Be sure to check out theAsianparent Community for more insightful stories, questions, and answers from parents and experts alike. If you have any insights, questions or comments regarding the topic, please share them in our Comment box below. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Google+ to stay up-to-date on the latest from theAsianparent.com Philippines!
