A Texas teenager died Sunday after being electrocuted by her cell phone while in the bathtub. Madison Coe, 14, was in the tub when she either plugged her phone in or picked it up after it was already plugged in, her family said.
“There was a burn mark on her hand — the hand that would have grabbed the phone,” her grandmother, Donna O’Guinn, told KCBD-TV. “And that was just very obvious that’s what happened.”
Madison lived in Lubbock, Texas, though she died while visiting her father in New Mexico. Her family said they’re hoping the tragedy will help other families.
Madison Coe, 14, died after being electrocuted by her cell phone while in a bathtub.Photo: GoFundMe
“This is such a tragedy that doesn’t need to happen to anyone else,” said O’Guinn. “And we want something good to come out of this as awareness of not using your cell phone in the bathroom as it is plugged in and charging.”
Madison’s story was posted on Facebook and the family said they want to spread awareness that way.
“It’s overwhelming to realize there are people that we don’t even know and we’ll probably never even meet that have taken this message and shared it to protect another child or even an adult,” said O’Guinn. “We don’t want to lose anybody. We need to be aware. We need to teach our children that electricity and water do not mix.”
A GoFundMe page was set up to donate money to her family to assist with medical and memorial costs. The page had raised more than $6,000 of its $20,000 goal by Tuesday morning.
“She’s just going to be greatly missed by all of us,” her grandmother said. “She has a special place in my heart.”
Madison is not the first person to have been killed while charging a phone in a tub. Richard Bull, 32, of London, died in March after his iPhone charger came in contact with the water while he was in the tub.
