Cellphones in the Bathtub
 

I just read on USA Today that a 14 year old was electrocuted when she either picked up a cellphone that was plugged into a charger or she plugged the phone in WHILE in the bathtub!

While all of us know that electricity and water is a deadly combination, lt would be wise to make sure our grandkids know that and to keep the cellphones OUT of the bathrooms.

And yet, rumor has it the new iphone will be "waterproof".
And most current phones are water-resistant, so you can use them briefly in the shower or tub. Unintended consequences, I guess.

That poor child and her parents. One small, unthinking action and she is gone. How difficult it must be for them.

I'm missing something here. The charger puts out 5 volts DC, the battery holds 5 volts DC, so how does 5 volts kill someone?

The consequence was that it was plugged into the wall outlet. She was not merely picking up her phone unattached to anything. No matter how water proof or water resistant, water and house current do not mix.

Feds Looking Into Teen'''s Reported Electrocution by Cellphone in Bathtub - NBC News

This gives more information.

Yes, you are. The phone was plugged in at the wall, which is regular house current (120) and deadly with water.

Depending on the design of the 'charger', there could be a direct connection of the 120 vac to the '5 vdc'. This occurs in some chargers that do not use isolation transformers or other means to isolate the 120 vac input from the 5 vdc output. My GUESS, this was an inexpensive (aka knockoff) charger. Electrocution can occur at low voltages, as it is CURRENT that kills. If I recall correctly, 5 mlliamperes to 50 milliamperes can result in irregular heart beats, and above that heart stoppage. Siting a tub of highly conductive water would allow a much lower voltage to create the deadly current flow.
Hope this was not too technical.

It explains why
 

Today the code is that ALL bathroom outlets are Ground fault interrupter connected. Our OLD house-1948 vintage-was not.

It still sounds strange to me. Where is Columbo when we need him?

I've yet to see a phone charger that has the transformer at the phone end. Even if it was made in China (or any other country) the output is STILL 5 volts DC. Your car battery is 12VDC, you can wet your fingers and touch the terminals on the battery and feel nothing.
There is more to this story.

The transformer is in the wall wart where it plugs into the wall.

What shame, what loss. Why today that people can't put they're phone down for 5 mins?