Teen Girl Electrocuted by Cell Phone While in Bathtub

A 14-year-old girl from Texas died Sunday after being electrocuted in a bathtub while using her cell phone.

Madison Coe’s mother and grandmother told KCBD that she was in the bathtub and either plugged her phone in or simply grabbed her phone that was already plugged in. The tragic accident happened at her father’s house in Lovington, NM.

Donna O’Guinn, Madison’s grandmother, said, “There was a burn mark on her hand, the hand that would have grabbed the phone. And that was just very obvious that that’s what had happened.”

This sort of thing could happen to anyone, and Madison’s family wants to try to prevent anyone else from suffering this kind of loss.

“This is such a tragedy that doesn’t need to happen to anyone else. 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,” O’Guinn told KCBD.

People on social media have been sharing Madison’s story. Her family hopes that the tragedy serves as a warning about the power of electricity and the danger of plugging in any electrical appliance near water.

“It’s overwhelming to realize that 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. We don’t want to lose anybody,” O’Guinn said.

“We need to be aware. We need to teach our children that electricity and water do not mix,” O’Guinn added. “She’s just going to be greatly missed by all of us. She has a special place in my heart.”

A fundraiser for Madison’s family has been established on GoFundMe to help them with medical and memorial costs.