Friend Went Swimming with his Cell Phone

S

Scott Free

Joined
Sep 15, 1999
Messages
3,319
A friend stopped by this evening and told me he was swimming a few days ago. He was in the water for a half hour before he remembered his cell phone was in his pocket. He shook it out, carefully hit it with a hair dryer (on low) and then put it in front of an air conditioning vent overnight. After trying unsuccessfully to turn it on the next morning, he changed the battery. It turned right on and everything functioned just fine—even the touch screen and keyboard. The phone was an LG Voyager.

After a half hour under water...:eek:
 
Don't bet on it working for much longer. There will be an increasing amount of oxidation that will build up on the circuitry that will eventually cause critical failures.

Tell him to start researching his new phone now so he'll have an idea how much he's going to be spending.
 
Where people screw up is panicking and trying to turn stuff on with water still on the boards, and shorting it out. Good on your friend for keeping his head:thumbup:

I've heard that a soak in alcohol will displace the water and evaporate more quickly and completely.
 
I've read (but never had to try, yet...) that leaving the phone submerged in a container of uncooked rice for a few days will help dry it out.
G
 
In a warm area if you will cover your phone with a towel and place it in your car for a day or two the heat wil bake the moisture out of it. The towel is to keep the phone out of direct sunlight which can melt it.
 
I've recovered phones from 30 feet down after 2 days, got them working again and returned them to their owner.

Remove the battery and dry the phone for several days. If you think it's dry- give it another day.

I find cell phones scuba diving and return about 5 each summer.
 
silica packets (like the ones that come in box of shoes). Put that in with the phone into a ziptop bag and leave for 48hrs.
 
One of our (no longer with us...) officers spilled an entire cup of vending-machine "cappuccino" (about half sugar) on the radio console in the squad car. Killed everything...
We hauled the radio in to the Motorola dealer, and the tech told me that if it's just water, they can usually recover the item. They use a special low-heat convection oven for the purpose.
But in the case of gooey, syrupy drinks... Junk.
 
A while back I was talking on my phone while fishing at the lake. I had the phone pinned between my ear and shoulder so I could have both hands free to handle the rod and reel. Well a fish bit and I dropped the phone in the water. After reeling in the fish I got a net out and 45 minutes later I got my phone out as well. The phone was still on when I got it out but I immediately turned it off and went insde the house and stuck it in the oven on warm with the door open. The next morning I took it out and it worked great for a month or two until it finally crapped out.

I think once it goes in the water its only a matter of time before it corrodes and shorts out.
 
Last edited:
Zero_Time said:
Yep, and it can be done with a phone that is built for just that: http://www.sonimtech.com/products/xp3quest.php

Zero
Click to expand...

I had that phone for a short while. I just couldnt live with the SERIOUSLY outdated software. Toughness was outstanding though!

Ive dropped my phone too, a Nokia E51, not once but TWICE in a lake about 2 years ago.

First time i picked it up, took out the battery and sim-card and let it dry out in the sun. I had placed it on a big rock a couple of meters out in the lake, because it was the hottest surface i could find plus it wasnt anywhere near the shade.

Next morning i went out to get it, mounted the card and batteries, turned it on (it worked) and dropped it AGAIN! I was furious i tell you. I repeated the procedure and let it dry out completely and im still using it today! Nokias are tough phones i tell you.
 
orrey45 said:
A while back I was talking on my phone while fishing at the lake. I had the phone pinned between my ear and shoulder so I could have both hands free to handle the rod and reel. Well a fish bit and I dropped the phone in the water. After reeling in the fish I got a net out and 45 minutes later I got my phone out as well. The phone was still on when I got it out but I immediately turned it off and went insde the house and stuck it in the oven on warm with the door open. The next morning I took it out and it worked great for a month or two until it finally crapped out.

I think once it goes in the water its only a matter of time before it corrodes and shorts out.
Click to expand...


Sounds like a good way to dry the phone AND risk carbon monoxide poisoning!
 
Tell your friend to back up his contacts info just in case, nothin' sucks more than losin' a 250 person contact list and tryin' to find all those people again.
 
proud2deviate said:
Where people screw up is panicking and trying to turn stuff on with water still on the boards, and shorting it out. Good on your friend for keeping his head:thumbup:

I've heard that a soak in alcohol will displace the water and evaporate more quickly and completely.
Click to expand...

Starlight1967 said:
I've read (but never had to try, yet...) that leaving the phone submerged in a container of uncooked rice for a few days will help dry it out.
G
Click to expand...

Wife dropped hers in the washing machine which was full of soapy water. It stopped working. She shook it out after taking the battery out and tried using it. It died.

I got home about 15 minutes later and poured alcohol in every hole and port on it and then some. I figured it would displace the soap and water.

I heard from my MIL that rice absorbs the moisture well. So I sealed it in a tupperware container with half a bag and left it over night.

It's been over a month and it's still working fine. It had a little shading in the outside screen but thats gone now also.

It's a Samsung but don't remember the model.
 
kmm said:
I had that phone for a short while. I just couldnt live with the SERIOUSLY outdated software. Toughness was outstanding though
Click to expand...

Are you used to smart phones and high end OSes and the Sonim wasn't up to snuff, or are we talking OS from 1997 level here?

Zero
 
My phone got a bath in a hot tub once. Now when I start it up:

1) the screen is bright white. If I then
2) Let the LCD time out, the display will show up inverted (both color and position wise). then I can
3) Let the LCD time out again, and the display will pop up normal.
 
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