Sweaty Man Electrocuted By PC - and Other Gadget-Related Deaths
Seems tech has a contract out for geeks.Let this be a warning to all of you: Don't touch the inside of your PC when you are wet. According to Shanghai Daily, a young man, simply identified as "Wu," was shocked to death by his PC.
Wu took the case off the outside of his PC to prevent it from overheating. For some unexplained reason, he was not running the air conditioner in his home, so he wasn't wearing that much clothing. At some point, his sweaty leg came in contact with his PC's innards and Wu was dealt the deadly jolt -- 380 volts right from his PC's power supply.
Let's not forget that gadgets are electric, after all, and these kinds of deaths can happen just like that, so follow the precautions you'd take with any other electricity-powered device (like don't touch it if you're wet!).
But electrocution is not the only hazard that can come with a gadget. Take a look at some of the other tech-related deaths we have covered in the past few months (surprisingly, there are a lot more than just these).
We hope each of the following examples will serve as some kind of warning for you:
- Cell Phone Battery Explodes, Kills Worker: This one happened in China, where a factory worker's cell phone in his chest pocket exploded, sending shards into his chest.
- Kid Drowns in Lake After Cell Phone Sinks: This poor kid went diving after his cell phone in a lake. He never came back up.
- Man Drowns After Phone Drops in Sewer: This one isn't good for the claustrophobes: This Michigan man went after his dropped cell phone in a sewer, got stuck face-down, and drowned with his feet sticking up street level.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 6)
Fred said 11:43AM on 8-01-2007
Why would you dive after a cell phone dropped into any kind of water, unless you need a paperweight?
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Mike said 2:20PM on 8-01-2007
Three excellent cases of the beauty of natural selection at work!
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kthmoodie said 9:29PM on 8-01-2007
some people will never use common sense .i guess they do not think that electronic is electricity and it is most deadly force commonly you only feeel it you dont see it.probably few more hundred have dead before we all learn.
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casey said 11:16PM on 8-01-2007
I love the natural selection comment. Too true. Too true.
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Laura Rojas said 11:30PM on 8-01-2007
Well for the guys out there who use their computers for cyber-women, jsut remember that's electricity coursing through that thing, so point your thing away, or it could arc back to... and what would your family think?
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Franklin said 10:06AM on 8-02-2007
To Lauren Rojas: You are a very crazy and funny woman. Thank you so much for the great laugh. But don't forget that it is not just us guys that do it. You women have so many "toys" and using them during cyber you mention in your post. So, your warning should go both way. You ladies, should also be careful with that "oil" dipping down --you know from where to where. Thanks again for the laugh
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gmac said 10:57AM on 8-02-2007
Head down in the sewer?? Definitly a candidate for this years' Darwin Awards.
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Bill said 12:00PM on 8-02-2007
" PC's innards and Wu was dealt the deadly jolt -- 380 volts right from his PC's power supply. "
This is not true since PC's do not output 380 volts and being killed by a PC is almost impossible. This simply did not happen and is another myth that will soon die.
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Greg said 10:35PM on 11-04-2008
It was probably a PC and not a laptop. Most countries use 240 volts instead od 120 volts like the US and North America, so I can see that happening.
Givra said 4:44AM on 11-05-2008
People are claiming this is possible. They obviously don't know much about how a power supply works. The voltage going INTO the power supply would be 120 volts, or 220 depending on the nation's standards, yes. BUT, coming out of it would be 3.3 volts, 5 volts or 12 volts depending on what component was touched, that's the standard voltage of each rail on a power supply. Or to put it another way, I HAVE accidently shocked myself on a Molex plug. I'm obviously still alive. At most I got hit with 12 volts.
Now 380 WATTS maybe. 380 watts isn't an absurd number for such, it's about right for a cheap budget unit built now, or a mid priced one made a few years ago.
billie said 10:47AM on 3-12-2009
Did any of you so-called experts concider the amps? IT'S THE AMPS THAT KILL NOT THE VOLTS.
Theresa said 12:56PM on 8-02-2007
You know what is sad? I had to read this article because I needed to make sure I didn't know the guy! Should I be embarrassed to admit that?
I wonder why so many people need to be reminded that water and cell phones don't mix. You can't make them a little life jacket and expect them to still work. I know people who washed their cell phones or dropped them in toilets. Just last week, my mom dropped her phone in her dog's water dish. And no, she didn't drown trying to jump in to rescue it ;)
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Unbeliever said 3:46PM on 8-02-2007
This is just another Urban Myth... patently not true.
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Gail said 6:32PM on 8-02-2007
LETS ALL BE ALOT SAFER WHEN WE USE THIS GREAT TECHOLOGY
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Gail said 6:33PM on 8-02-2007
THERE SURE WAS NO COMMON SENSE USED IN ANY OF THE CELL PHONE SITUATIONS OR THE PC INCCIDENT .
IOWA WOMAN
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esalink said 6:44AM on 8-03-2007
Bill says:
" PC's innards and Wu was dealt the deadly jolt -- 380 volts right from his PC's power supply. "
This is not true since PC's do not output 380 volts and being killed by a PC is almost impossible. This simply did not happen and is another myth that will soon die.
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Actually, Bill it IS possible. Most PC supplies use what is known as "Switching" tech to develop the high currents required by PC components. This tech takes advantage of the increased efficiency of transformers at high voltage/frequencies, allowing a much smaller and more efficient supply. Also, assuming the guy was in Singapore, I bet they have a higher line voltage than the US's 120VAC.
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esalink said 6:47AM on 8-03-2007
Err... Shanghai
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Jim said 12:26PM on 8-03-2007
This story proves once again how strange things can happen in this, our life adventure.
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bobby said 3:36PM on 8-03-2007
OK so I gather it is ok to stick my weinie into the CD slot being it is only 110.Yeah its small
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Josh Tyler said 4:01PM on 8-03-2007
I dunno this doesnt sound right. I have been in the IT field for 15 years and only low voltage comes out the secondary side of the power supply. 120v AC going in and low volatage coming out?
JT
www.Ultimate-Anonymity.com
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