Mom, 46, tragically dies while taking a bath after holding phone as it charged
Topics: Ireland, Phones, Technology, News
Niamh Shackleton
Featured Image Credit: Staffords Funeral Directors Dublin Ireland
Topics: Ireland, Phones, Technology, News
A mother passed away in sad circumstances after using her phone in the bathtub.
On October 30 2024, Ann-Marie O'Gorman was at her home in Dublin, Republic of Ireland, when tragedy stuck.
Ann-Marie was using her cellphone while in the bath at the same time the device was charging.
The mom-of-three went on to be electrocuted as a result and was later pronounced dead at Beaumont Hospital.
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An inquest into Ann-Marie's death was held on Tuesday (September 30), where her husband Joe O'Gorman recalled finding his wife in the bath.
He said he had a phone call with Ann-Marie around 7.58pm on the day in question, a time Joe thinks his wife was already in the bath.
When he arrived home he went to chat to Ann-Marie in the bathroom to find her unresponsive.
It was then that he discovered her cellphone and its charging cable in the water with her.
When pulling her from the bath, Joe said he got a small shock.
Joe lifted her out of the bath and performed CPR on his wife while their eldest daughter called for an ambulance.
He believes he wasn't more seriously hurt because he'd been wearing flip-flops at the time.
While giving CPR to Ann-Marie he noticed marks on her hands and chest, Mail Online reports.
Ann-Marie suffered with Von Willebrand disease and Graves’ disease but was still dubbed as 'fit and healthy' and was a frequent gym-goer.
State pathologist Heidi Okkers, who performed Ann-Marie's postmortem, said her preexisting conditions were not contributing factors to the 46-year-old's death. Ann-Marie did not have any drugs or alcohol in her system at the time of her death.
It was also confirmed that she had electrocution-type burns to her chest and left arm, thus Ann-Marie's cause of death was ruled as electrocution by a charging cable and phone while in a bath.
Her grieving husband wants there to be more warnings about using devices like phones in the bath.
"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," Joe said at the inquest.
"There should be warnings that this is dangerous."
He went on: "There’s nothing being done about this whatsoever by any provider to say this is a hazard you could die from. That is all that people have to know."
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact GrieveWell on (734) 975-0238, or email [email protected].