Charging his iPhone while sleeping is something 32-old Wiley Day will regret all his life, as he suffered serious burn injuries. However, it’s not because of a defective battery or charger, but because of careless handling.
Charging iPhone near your bed can be dangerous
Day was using an extension cord next to his bed to charge the iPhone. When he was jolted awake, he realized that the necklace he was wearing got entangled between the charger and the extension cord. Day said he felt a lot of pressure around his neck, his eyesight was fading, and his body felt numb.
Day’s dog-chain necklace worked as a conductor for electricity when it hit the iPhone charger and extension cord. The electric force was strong enough to throw him on the ground, but he was able to break off the necklace and thus was saved from being electrocuted to death.
However, he still suffered severe burns on his face. The electric shock was 110 volts, and the incident took place on March 22, according to The Washington Post. The victim had to be treated for second- and third-degree burns. Day told the Post that the jolt he felt was “the eeriest, darkest, most demonic thing you could ever experience.”
Physician Benjamin Fail from Huntsville told WAAY-TV that Day is lucky to have survived because electrocutions are often fatal.
It could happen to anyone
The injuries Day suffered were horrifying. The incident burned his shirt superficially, and there was a hole due to the burn. Due to the metal chain that hung around his neck, his flesh and skin were missing in the areas where it touched. There were also burns on the hand he used to take off the chain.
The shock was powerful, and the necklace pattern burns could be seen on his hands. Immediately after throwing away the necklace, Day rushed to doctor and was admitted to the hospital for treatment, reports The Washington Post.
Day is one of many smartphone users who cannot imagine spending even a few hours away from their phones. However, now that Day has been through so such, he takes full care not to leave the phone charging while he is sleeping and advises the same to others.
Advising others like him who charge gadgets near the bed, Day said, “From my experience to others, it is not worth your life charging your electronics in bed. I mean, it’s not worth it. I wouldn’t wish what happened to me on my worst enemy.”
On average each year, there are 400 electrocution deaths and 4,400 injuries caused by electrical hazards in the U.S., according to the American Burn Association. Even though the majority of the incidents happen in the workplace, the organization urges everyone to be cautious when using electrical devices at home (including extension cords), notes The Washington Post.
