Ann-Marie O’Gorman, a 46-year-old mother of three from Dublin, Ireland, sadly lost her life on October 30, 2024, in a tragic accident at home.
She had been taking a bath while using her phone, which was plugged in and charging at the same time. The phone and charging cable ended up in the water, and Ann-Marie was electrocuted. She was rushed to Beaumont Hospital but could not be saved.
At the inquest into her death, her husband, Joe O’Gorman, explained what happened that evening. He said he had spoken to Ann-Marie on the phone around 7:58 p.m., while she was likely already in the bath. When he arrived home, he went to the bathroom to speak with her but found her unresponsive in the water. He noticed her phone and charging cable in the bath with her.
Joe said that when he pulled her from the water, he felt a small electric shock himself. He immediately started CPR while their eldest daughter called emergency services. He believes the reason he wasn’t badly injured was because he happened to be wearing flip-flops.
While trying to save her, Joe noticed burns on Ann-Marie’s hands and chest. Doctors later confirmed these were consistent with electrocution. A postmortem carried out by state pathologist Dr. Heidi Okkers confirmed that her death was caused by electrocution from the charging cable and phone in the bath. Ann-Marie’s health conditions, including Von Willebrand disease and Graves’ disease, did not play a role in her death, and she had no alcohol or drugs in her system.
Friends and family described Ann-Marie as a fit, active woman who often went to the gym and lived life to the fullest. Her sudden death has left her family heartbroken.
Joe has since spoken out about the dangers of using electrical devices in the bath, saying that people are often misled by advertisements about water-resistant phones. He believes stronger warnings should be given so others do not make the same mistake. In his words: “There should be warnings that this is dangerous. There’s nothing being done about it by providers to say this is a hazard you could die from. That is all that people have to know.”
