Woman shocked by frayed iPhone charger warns others

DANVERS, Mass. — A North Shore teacher who was recently shocked by her frayed iPhone charger is warning others about how these cables can put you in real danger.

The Danvers woman is sharing her experience in hopes other will chose to replace their chargers if they break or become damaged and expose the wiring.

She says the frayed cable zapped her after she sat down in her car.

After the surge of electricity she felt through her body and the burn mark left on her driver's seat, she believes it's critical that everyone hears the potential danger of using a damaged iPhone cord.

"As soon as I sat down I felt an electrical shock go right through my body and so I bolted out of my seat and got out of my car," Karen Gargan said.

As she looked down at the seat she had jumped out of, she saw a distinctive burn mark, and the obvious culprit was the Apple cable she had just sat down on, visibly singed - and a portion of it even melted.

“I was in panic mode I called one of my friends I was like oh my gosh I can’t believe what just happened to me," Gargan said.

Gargan believes the cable, which had been plugged into the USB outlet, overheated when she used the remote start to her car.

"Once the car got started was when the burning smell was there," Gargan said.

Gargan, who is a teacher in Swampscott, is convinced the damaged cable she wrapped in electrical tape could've started a fire, posing a danger she had never thought of.

"I think a lot of people have frayed i-phone chargers and don’t realize what could happen," Gargan said. "Throw it away, it’s not worth it."

An Apple spokesperson sent Boston 25 News a list of tips regarding frayed chargers, which you can read below:

Charging: Charge iPhone with the included USB cable and power adapter, or with other third-party "Made for iPhone" cables and power adapters that are compatible with USB 2.0 or later, or power adapters compliant with applicable country regulations and with one or more of the following standards: EN 301489-34, IEC 62684, YD/T 1591-2009, CNS 15285, ITU L.1000, or another applicable mobile phone power adapter interoperability standard. 
Using damaged cables or chargers, or charging when moisture is present, can cause fire, electric shock, injury, or damage to iPhone or other property. When you use the Apple USB Power Adapter to charge iPhone, make sure the USB cable is fully inserted into the power adapter before you plug the adapter into a power outlet.

Additionally, Apple provides tips for safely using Apple power adapters and cables at https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT204178 

Identifying damaged AC power adapters or cables 
If your power adapter, AC wall adapter, or AC power cable has been damaged, stop using it. If you're unsure about whether an accessory is damaged, take it to an Apple Retail Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider for evaluation, or contact Apple Support.
Signs of damage include but aren't limited to:
•    Any breakage or visible wear on a cable's outer layer
•    Bent, missing, loose, or broken AC prongs or blades
•    AC blades that won't lock into place, or that have black marks or other visible damage
•    Sparks issuing from somewhere other than the blades of a plug
•    Breakage, visible damage, or discoloration of the adapter casing
•    Popping sounds from within the AC wall adapter or anywhere on the AC power cable
•    AC adapters that don't power your device

The iPhone User Guide can be found at http://help.apple.com/iphone/10/. 

Cox Media Group