Tabloid reports on child 'Killed by Game Boy'

***wraggster*** · January 5th, 2007, 09:49

via gibiz

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** · January 5th, 2007, 10:02

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** · January 5th, 2007, 10:08

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

**rbervoets** · January 5th, 2007, 10:22

HE JUST UNPLUGGED A SOCKET ????

i cant beleive this...

**bah** · January 5th, 2007, 10:23

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** · January 5th, 2007, 11:45

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

**Mustang** · January 5th, 2007, 12:33

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** · January 5th, 2007, 14:13

Originally Posted by 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...

well said