Plenty of dangers lurk in our everyday lives, but once in a while we get a harrowing reminder that we need to be careful with even the most routine behaviors.
One family in Maipu, Argentina, has suffered the loss of their 18-year-old son after he was electrocuted while trying to charge his phone.
According to TN via the New York Post, Angel Andrada asked to leave the dinner table to charge his phone on Feb. 26 at about 8 p.m.
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A short time later, his parents heard a loud noise, and his father found him unresponsive on the floor, with burns over his body.
The father quickly drove his son to Diego Paroissien Regional Hospital, but he was pronounced dead.
Doctors noted he had “burns to his neck, both wrists and his right foot” and declared the cause of death as electric shock.
Authorities have since examined the home and charger to see if they could find the cause for the electrocution but have not revealed any findings.
A relative paid tribute to the young man on social media.
“Fly high Angel Andrada, dear nephew, and give strength to your family to help relieve them of such great pain,” the relative wrote, according to the Post. “My condolences to the family, I send you a hug with all my heart.”
As sad as this story is, it’s not the first time someone has died while charging a phone.
In August 2021, 18-year-old Radja Ferreira de Oliveira from Santarem, Brazil, was killed while her phone charged.
According to The U.S. Sun, she was using it in the early hours of the morning when lightning hit the house and caused a surge.
The teen was severely shocked, passed out and was pronounced dead after her family rushed her to the hospital.
A 13-year-old boy in China died in 2019 while playing on his phone, which was charging. According to the Daily Mail, he’d plugged his smartphone into an outlet at a fast-food restaurant using a third-party charging cable.
While playing, he was shocked and then was rushed to a hospital. Medical professionals tried to revive him for two hours but couldn’t.
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There are ways to avoid such tragedies and other common phone-related issues, such as explosions and burns.
According to PCMag, cellphone users should protect their phones from damage by using phone cases, avoiding exposing their devices to extreme temperatures, leaving their phones uncovered while charging, avoiding charging their phone in bed, using chargers made specifically for their phone from their phone’s manufacturer, and regularly inspecting charging cables for damaged wires.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.