Tabloid reports on child 'Killed by Game Boy'

[wraggster]

via gibiz (http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=22022)

UK tabloid The Daily Mirror today leads with a story of a tragic holiday accident and a half-page headline stating: "Killed by Xmas Game Boy."

The story, also on the red top's website, tells of 7 year-old Connor O'Keefe, who was electrocuted while unplugging a charger in his hotel room in Thailand.

"There should be some kind of warning about different electrical currents you get abroad because this would not have happened in England," said the mother of the child, Kathleen Curry.

She also said that Connor was aware of the dangers of electricity, while police at the Sunset Beach Hotel in Phuket described the incident as a tragic accident.

All Game Boy handhelds come with numerous safety warnings in the manual and on printed leaflets, detailing consumer information and precautions. Instruction booklets also warn that devices 'must be used with the recommended power supply', and that they conform to the EEC's Low Voltage Directive.

Nintendo was unavailable for comment at the time of writing.

[BelmontSlayer]

First Sony, now Nintendo.


"There should be some kind of warning about different electrical currents you get abroad because this would not have happened in England"

There IS a warning...It's called the "Health and safety precautions booklet". Still, poor kid...

[Shrygue]

That's sad to hear someone killed for simply unplugging a battery charger from the mains outlet.

[rbervoets]

HE JUST UNPLUGGED A SOCKET ????

i cant beleive this...

[bah]

This is obviously a tragedy for the parents and people who knew him, but i think the title is a little misleading. The power point caused his death, it could have been any device on the other end.

The story is light on details, but if the voltage was different in Thailand would the pin pattern of their AC outlets not also be different? Meaning the GBA would have either required a local power cable or an adaptor.

GBA charger cables have the transformer on the plug not in-line like a psp's so there is little chance of a damaged cable causing the accident.

[steve-b]

I heard he was wet from the swimming pool at the time he unplugged.

[Mustang]

Yup, I heard the same, he hadnt dried himself before unplugging his gameboy...

It's tragic sure, but my mum and dad always enforced the dangers of switching off a light switch with wet hands when I was young - therefore I was always more wary through the following years.

I'm not saying "its the parents fault" but, unless the socket was exceptionally badly maintained, theyre reaction of "We are making a plea for a change in regulations...blah blah blah" can only be seen as someone looking for reason and a responsible party during a time that is hard for parents to cope with.

The headline "Boy killed by Game Boy" just boils my blood...

[LazerTag]

Yup, I heard the same, he hadnt dried himself before unplugging his gameboy...

It's tragic sure, but my mum and dad always enforced the dangers of switching off a light switch with wet hands when I was young - therefore I was always more wary through the following years.

I'm not saying "its the parents fault" but, unless the socket was exceptionally badly maintained, theyre reaction of "We are making a plea for a change in regulations...blah blah blah" can only be seen as someone looking for reason and a responsible party during a time that is hard for parents to cope with.

The headline "Boy killed by Game Boy" just boils my blood...

well said

[jools]

sad but it could of been anything, not just a game boy...:(

[Baboon]

I just heard it on the news and it reported he had wet hands.

[Apoklepz]

Sad. I don't think it's the parent's fault or the GameBoy's, for that matter....The people from Phuket should start actually giving a Phuk about their badly maintained electrical sockets...I say sue them for being so careless.

Happy New Year Baboon, and all!

[Accordion]

why is this in the gaming forum...?

[crypysmoker]

Ok well, As I do feel sorry for the parents in this because I am a father and would flip out if somethign like this happened to my son..
But what thell hell is the voltage of those outlets over there jesus.
I mean, america its 120volts and i have never seen anyone die from getting zapped by one, maybe a little jolted and disoriented but thats about it.

But, this is another reason that parents should quit being so damn lazy and teaching thier kids common sense values instead of relying on tv and video games to teach them... i wonder why there are so many stupid, insane kids running around now a days.
Wow, I thought it was just america where we had the lazy ass parents, I guess not

[Mustang]

You can't help but feel sorry for the parents - that's for sure I'm a father too): I'm sure they didnt mean for this to happen, I don't even blame them for trying to find someone more responsible for this accident than themselves, given the state they must be in. It's the media who act irresponsibly : they take on the illogical thought processes of the parents, publsh it to sell papers and stir up a hornets nest..

The headline "boy killed by gameboy" may or may not exist, but it's typical of the rubbish that is spewed out of tabloids' collective mouths each day and serves only to widen the gap between "Gamers" and "non-gamers" just like all your other "murderer played Grand theft auto the week he killed someone" and "Need for Speed fan dies in car crash" nonsense.

On the subject of household electricity killing you : if you touch most electrical supplies around the world with one hand and are not earthed, you get a kick start to the day and you are blown away from it......earth the other hand or legs and you'll be killed because you are sending the amps (it's not the volts : it's the amps that get ya lol) across your heart - thats probably why it killed him - he was extremely well "earthed".

Couldnt agree more about lazy parenting though - it's a universal problem : the only ones who get it right nearly all the time are the animals :)

[pt9087]

Thats bad, I guess it must of been destiny

[T-2000]

from what i understand the adapter was bought in thailand.

[Pomp]

This was a tragic accident but, really, if a child and his parents don't know you shouldn't jam your power cords into foreign plugs with wet hands the kid was gonna die soon anyway.
The parents should be investigated for neglect. They also should probably be forced to undergo operations that prevent them from breeding again.

[jojotjuh]

i feel sorry for the child :(
only 7 years old, why did a 7 year old innocent boy die?
probably, if he didnt go swimming he wouldnt have died :(

[GauBan]

First of all I want to say that this is a tragic accident. I feel for the kid’s parents and family.

But what information has been supplied points to it being just that, a tragic accident. All genuine Nintendo chargers are plastic cases and only have metal contacts which are not exposed when inserted correctly. So to receive any shock from it means that you would have to have something to transfer the current from the contacts, Water would be a perfect conductor.

Another way that this type of accident could happen would be if the plug socket way badly wired. But the police have looked into the incident and report that they do not find individual or company responsible.

However this has been blown out of all proportions by the UK press. Fatal accidents happen all the time but they all don’t end up in the worlds press. As we all know the press love to spin a story. So as the child died while unplugging a GameBoy charger they use that for a quick grab title.