In today’s always-connected world, smartphones have become constant companions—even in our most private moments. But what many see as a harmless habit can carry serious risks. The heartbreaking story of Italian teenager Maria Antonietta Cutillo is a sobering reminder of the hidden dangers that can come from using electronic devices in unsafe settings.
According to reports, the teenager was charging her phone while using it in the bathtub at her parents’ home when the device slipped from her hand and fell into the water, causing a fatal short circuit. Local media noted that Cutillo’s family was not home at the time of the incident. Concerned after their call suddenly disconnected, the teenager’s friend contacted emergency services, prompting the tragic discovery.
Cutillo’s body was transported to the morgue at Moscati Hospital in Avellino, where an autopsy was conducted. Local authorities also launched an investigation into the tragic incident. According to MailOnline, her father is a well-known figure in the Irpinia region, where he owns a local butcher shop.
The friend who was on the video call with Cutillo at the time of the tragedy shared a heartfelt tribute on TikTok. As reported by the Daily Express, she wrote: “You flew to heaven, my love. You left while screaming my name during our video call—I’ll never forget that moment. The last call, the last laugh, the last silly moment together—it all happened today, my baby. And while you were talking to me… this happened.”
“Your voice still echoes in my head, the sound of you screaming my name,” the friend wrote. “I can still see it all—the moment it happened, your big green eyes, your laugh. You were an incredible friend. Now the desk beside me at school will be empty, and no one who sits there will ever be you. I miss you with all my heart—your image is forever etched in my mind.”
Though rare, electrocution involving phones has claimed lives in other tragic cases. In 2023, The Mirror reported that 27-year-old Wanchai Deengam from Thailand died after falling asleep with his phone charging. At the time, a smartwatch was also connected to an extension cord, while two rice cookers and two fans were plugged into the same wall socket—raising concerns about electrical overload.
In the aftermath of the incident, Police Captain Jiratchaya Yordkum of the Rat Burana Metropolitan Police Station stated that a short circuit was likely the cause of Wanchai Deengam’s electrocution. The 27-year-old had reportedly plugged his device directly into the socket without a proper adaptor. In a separate case, Daily Mail reported that a schoolgirl in France tragically died in 2020 after her charging phone fell onto her chest and slipped into the bathwater.
