Boy Almost Dies Trying to Cool XBox 360

I saw this blog post over at playgirlz:

Overheating Xbox 360 Nearly Kills Teen

by Ingrid on August 22nd, 2007

Oh boy. Apparently, a 14 year old boy was having trouble with his overheating Xbox 360, which would shut off every 5 minutes. The boy went on the Internet to find some tips on how to cool off his console.

The mom left him alone for a little while and when she came home, he was lying on the floor unconscious. The boy had attempted to cool the Xbox 360 by wrapping the console in a plastic bag and submerging it in water.

End result? Naturally, he was shocked unconscious.

The mom found him and called 911. The boy suffered minor burns to his right hand and foot, which is lucky, as he could’ve done a lot more damage to himself.

Wonder if the Xbox 360 is okay too…

 They found the original article at TG Daily:

Games and Entertainment

By Mark Raby

Wednesday, August 22, 2007 08:55

Brevard (NC) - A 14-year-old boy was knocked unconscious and sent to the hospital as a result of trying to cool off his Xbox 360 over the weekend. According to a local news report, the teen’s console would repeatedly shut off every five minutes.  His mother told reporters that he thought the problem was likely linked to overheating.  He reportedly tried to fix it on his own based on tips he found online. “When I left to go next door he was playing a game but when I got back he was laying on his back on the floor and unconscious,” said the boy’s mother. Local media reports suggest that the teenager took the power supply, wrapped it in plastic and tape, and submerged it into a bowl of water while it was still plugged in.  This caused an electrical shock and knocked the boy unconscious. His mother called 911 and paramedics rushed him to Transylvania Community Hospital in Brevard, North Carolina.  He spent the night there and was treated for minor burns to his right hand and foot.

I don’t really have anything else to add; it is just really shocking to hear about.  Of course, the boy probably just found a forum somewhere discussing the issue of overheating, so the notion that someone gave him the idea directly is faulty.  Chances are, like most people seeking answers on the web, he just lurked some forums for help.

These things will happen from time to time just by the nature of the beast.  Young gamers doing stupid things because they just don’t understand how things work.  On the other hand, the concept of water being a great conductor for electricity was probably covered in one of science classes already.

In the end, this really isn’t anyone’s fault.  People might say, “Parents need to watch their kids and pay attention!”  Yeah, well, that’s easier said than done.  Plus, the mother and father can’t watch all the time, so things are bound to happen.  Perhaps this kid will think twice before taking advice from strangers on the Internet.