Teen Electrocuted in Bathtub: Parents Hope Daughter's Last Text Prevents Another Tragedy by Sheryl Gould

Headlines Parenting Teens
6 years ago

Teen Electrocuted in Bathtub: Parents Hope Daughter's Last Text Prevents Another Tragedy

How many of our teens have taken a bath while texting? Tragically on July 9, 14-year-old Madison Coe was accidentally electrocuted while taking a bath using her cell phone. I was shocked and saddened to hear this news. This could have happened to one of my kids. 

Deciding to relax before bed, Madison plugged her phone into an extension cord, sent her friend a photo of her setup and a text: “When you use (an) extension cord so you can plug your phone in while you’re in the bath.” Then she got into the tub. This was the last text she’d send. At first authorities suspected that she'd dropped her phone into the water. After further investigation they now believe that she took precautions to keep the cords dry but unknowingly touched the frayed portion on the extension cord. 

Her family and friends are on a mission to raise awareness about the dangers of combining water, electricity and portable electronics. Their hope is others will learn from this tragedy so it never happens to anyone else’s child or even an adult.

Let’s spread their message. It takes one drop of water mixed with electricity for your phone to become a lethal weapon. No phones in the tub.

Read more about teen electrocuted in bathtub via CNN.

Elisa Schmitz
This is so incredibly sad. Thank you for the important wake-up call, for all of us, Sheryl Gould .
Ann Marie Patitucci
What a devastating story. Thank you for sharing it with us, Sheryl Gould, so that we can learn from this tragedy, as Madison's parents hope we will.
Amy Carney
Thank you for sharing this as I always tell my daughter to keep her phone across the bathroom from her when she's bathing. I can show her this article and show her exactly why I say this. So sad for this family but know that many of us will benefit from them sharing their tragic story.
Sheryl Gould
Amy Carney I told my daughter the same thing. It is so sad. I can see how easily it could have happened.
Katie Sloan
Just heartbreaking. Hair dryers come with the warning. Maybe we need to ramp up education on electric safety.
Sheryl Gould
Katie Sloan I agree. Our kids don't connect their cell phones/chargers being a danger by the water.
Mindy Hudon, M.S., CCC-SLP
This is so sad, but a very important message.

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