Ever dropped your phone, camera, etc... in water?

[tanya]

Even if a wet cellphone seems dead, there's a good chance it can be resuscitated. Just make sure you act fast--the longer the water sits inside, the greater the likelihood it will destroy the phone (http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/how-to/tips/4269047#) for good.

This is a DIY moment. While consumers are conditioned to send back broken merchandise, your phone's warranty probably doesn't cover water damage. And you may not have much luck pulling a fast one on your phone company--most of today's phones come with a "water sticker" that permanently changes color (http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/how-to/tips/4269047#) if it gets wet.

The first step: Immediately cut the power by removing the battery. I know it's tempting, but resist the urge to power up your phone to see if it works--just turning it on can short out the circuits. If you have a GSM phone (the type used by AT&T and T-Mobile (http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/how-to/tips/4269047#)), you'll want to remove the SIM card as well. Even if your phone turns out to be beyond repair, the SIM should retain a lot of its onboard information, such as the contacts in your phone book.

more
http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/how-to/tips/4269047

[jdgibney]

Even if a wet cellphone seems dead, there's a good chance it can be resuscitated. Just make sure you act fast--the longer the water sits inside, the greater the likelihood it will destroy the phone (http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/how-to/tips/4269047#) for good.

This is a DIY moment. While consumers are conditioned to send back broken merchandise, your phone's warranty probably doesn't cover water damage. And you may not have much luck pulling a fast one on your phone company--most of today's phones come with a "water sticker" that permanently changes color (http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/how-to/tips/4269047#) if it gets wet.

The first step: Immediately cut the power by removing the battery. I know it's tempting, but resist the urge to power up your phone to see if it works--just turning it on can short out the circuits. If you have a GSM phone (the type used by AT&T and T-Mobile (http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/how-to/tips/4269047#)), you'll want to remove the SIM card as well. Even if your phone turns out to be beyond repair, the SIM should retain a lot of its onboard information, such as the contacts in your phone book.

more
http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/how-to/tips/4269047

My brother saved his blackberry by putting it in rice and I think he was thrown in the pool with it, something silly like that...

I love the illustrations, especially the 'don't microwave your cell phone EVER' :nono::lol8:

I lost my first ever cell phone to a glass of pepsi, OOPS!

[jman]

I once dropped my iPhone 3GS in a river while exploring Farmington canyon. And I didn't realize it fell in until I crossed the stream! I went back on got it and it still worked, as in, it was on and wasn't displaying funky text or whatever. I immediately turned it off and left it outside on my deck for 2 days straight in the direct sunlight. After that, I resummerged it in denatured alcohol (dry the remaining water in the phone) and let it sit for another day in the sunlight. Turned it back on and no problems. 2 years later, the exact same phone is still working just fine (even as I type this on my 3GS)!

[denaliguide]

i submerged my phone once while retrieving a jetski that got away from someone on the colorado river at bullhead. i just waded out waist deep in the river and totally forgot it was in my pocket. pulled the battery and sim, put it on top of the water heater for 3 days and it is still working. this was 4 years ago.

[cachehiker]

Stepped into a hot tub with mine. Immediately stepped out, pulled the battery, and went without it for a couple of weeks. I only got another 6-8 months out of it before the speaker/ringer or the chip driving it failed. It wasn't so bad not knowing somebody was calling though. Kind of peaceful actually. :haha:

[accadacca]

I have had a couple phones that were allergic to asphalt. :lol8: My daughter dropped my iPhone 3GS and I dropped my iPhone 4, both shattered the glass. Whoops. :whoops:

[Deuce]

Put my phone through the clothes washer.... It was revived via the rice method.... It had a few quirks, but worked adequately until it was replaced.....

[bowjunkie]

lost one to Lake Powell, one to an irrigation ditch, and one to a front end loader tire rofl sure was flat !! none were saved

[homerj]

I dropped my camera in the Yellowstone River while on a fishing trip. I yanked it out and imediately pulled the battery and SD card from it. Then I wiped off any water and wrapped it in my micro fleece jacket and left it until I got home the next day. Luckily it was on the last day before we left so I didn't miss too many shots... When I got home I took the shell off of the camera and dabbed up any water I could see and then left a fan blowing on it on low for 24+ hours to dry it. When I put the battery back in and it powered up and saw that it was working I was ecstatic as I couldn't imagine going through fall without a camera! That was over 1.5 years ago and it's still working!

[Pathfinder]

Back in the days of film, I dropped a nice Nikon in the Oregon surf. Took about a tenth of a second to destroy the camera. The insurance company was pretty good about it although they spent weeks trying to find a replacement that would cost $10 less than the one from my local camera shop. I finally got the camera I wanted and took a check from the insurance.

Cheers,
Pathfinder

[Glockguy]

I was leaving Raging Waters once when I saw a little kid laying on the bottom of the pool. I jumped in and pulled him out. He came to after coughing up some water. My phone was ok when I did the rice trick.

[greyhair biker]

Dropped my PalmPilot in the ocean surf on Kauai. It was fried before I could reach for it.
Dropped my 120GB IPod off the top of a railcar in wet sulfite -20feet- dented one side. never even turned off. THEN, I dropped it stepping out of my truck at work in the parking lot...in November. Never found it. LAST WEEK I got a call from one of the secretaries that they'd found an IPod encased in ice and brought it in to thaw...plugged it in to a docking station and it fired right up. checked settings and found me. I am listening to it as we speak.:hail2thechief::hail2thechief:

[accadacca]

Apple rules! :naughty: