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 @ Aug 1st 2007 11:43AM
Why would you dive after a cell phone dropped into any kind of water, unless you need a paperweight?
Mike @ Aug 1st 2007 2:20PM
Three excellent cases of the beauty of natural selection at work!
kthmoodie @ Aug 1st 2007 9:29PM
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.
casey @ Aug 1st 2007 11:16PM
I love the natural selection comment. Too true. Too true.
Laura Rojas @ Aug 1st 2007 11:30PM
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?
Franklin @ Aug 2nd 2007 10:06AM
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
gmac @ Aug 2nd 2007 10:57AM
Head down in the sewer?? Definitly a candidate for this years' Darwin Awards.
Bill @ Aug 2nd 2007 12:00PM
" 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.
Theresa @ Aug 2nd 2007 12:56PM
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 ;)
Unbeliever @ Aug 2nd 2007 3:46PM
This is just another Urban Myth... patently not true.
Gail @ Aug 2nd 2007 6:32PM
LETS ALL BE ALOT SAFER WHEN WE USE THIS GREAT TECHOLOGY
Gail @ Aug 2nd 2007 6:33PM
THERE SURE WAS NO COMMON SENSE USED IN ANY OF THE CELL PHONE SITUATIONS OR THE PC INCCIDENT .
IOWA WOMAN
esalink @ Aug 3rd 2007 6:44AM
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.
-------
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.
esalink @ Aug 3rd 2007 6:47AM
Err... Shanghai
Jim @ Aug 3rd 2007 12:26PM
This story proves once again how strange things can happen in this, our life adventure.
bobby @ Aug 3rd 2007 3:36PM
OK so I gather it is ok to stick my weinie into the CD slot being it is only 110.Yeah its small
Josh Tyler @ Aug 3rd 2007 4:01PM
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
Belinda Carlilse @ Aug 3rd 2007 4:26PM
I guess I hadn't thought of being electrocuted by a computer. But common sense tells us all that any electric appliance should be handled with caution because there is a possibility of being shocked.
http://magnumshops.org/jewelrydiamondsintl.aspx
ddcs @ Aug 4th 2007 6:48PM
It is 220 volts of dc current unlike 120 ac in usa. It is possible to get 380volts plus from one of the coils is shorted to ground it could backfeed like an igition coil in a car and produce 20000 to 30000 volts. like grabbing a spark plug wire.OUCH
ramsteinbandb.com @ Aug 4th 2007 6:52PM
I hope his first name was SHAN.