Apple's iPhone 5c helps man survive shotgun blast to the chest

Posted:
in iPhone edited May 2015
A 25-year-old British man who was shot in the chest with a shotgun during a confrontation outside of his home survived the event, thanks in part to his green iPhone 5c, which absorbed much of the impact.




The victim was seriously injured by the blast, but was able to return home to call emergency services thanks to the iPhone, according to ITV News. The man's attacker was subsequently found guilty of attempted murder.

"[The attacker's] actions that night were extreme and shocking - the victim went outside to speak to the group about the fact they had turned off the water supply resulting in the defendant shooting him with a powerful weapon," Cheshire Police Detective Inspector Gary McIntyre said in a statement.

"Fortunately, the victim's mobile phone took the brunt of the shot and, as a result of this, he survived. This is remarkable - had that phone not been in his pocket at that time he would undoubtedly have died."

An image of the phone shows its polycarbonate shell severely deformed but ultimately un-punctured.
«1345

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 81
    chadbagchadbag Posts: 1,999member
    That guy will be a customer for life...
  • Reply 2 of 81
    dbkeys79dbkeys79 Posts: 4member

    4 months from now Samsung will have a phone that looks just like this. 

  • Reply 3 of 81
    robmrobm Posts: 1,068member
    Wow - that's from close range !

    I wouldn't have thought anything other than a metal case would have stood up to a shotgun blast - oh yes, of course riot gear's made out of composites, I know.
    But still a plastic phone case ... insane.
  • Reply 4 of 81
    jameskatt2jameskatt2 Posts: 720member
    This is great advertisement for Apple's new plastic iPhone 6c
  • Reply 5 of 81
    nkingmannkingman Posts: 44member

    This should be the new drop test. Instead of dropping the phone to see if the screen survives, it should undergo a shotgun blast.

  • Reply 6 of 81
    jungmarkjungmark Posts: 6,926member
    Not cheap plastic at all. I wonder how other plastic phones would do ?
  • Reply 7 of 81
    gregqgregq Posts: 62member
    proof that iPhones save lives :)
  • Reply 8 of 81
    mstonemstone Posts: 11,510member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by RobM View Post



    Wow - that's from close range !



    I wouldn't have thought anything other than a metal case would have stood up to a shotgun blast.



    Not to minimize the seriousness but that is birdshot which usually has much less gunpowder than say buckshot. Same stuff that Dick Cheney uses on his friends. 

  • Reply 9 of 81
    chadbagchadbag Posts: 1,999member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by mstone View Post

     



    Not to minimize the seriousness but that is birdshot which usually has much less gunpowder than say buckshot. Same stuff that Dick Cheney uses on his friends. 




    That was very close range (based on the spread pattern).   That will kill you at that range.

  • Reply 10 of 81
    robmrobm Posts: 1,068member
    mstone wrote: »

    Not to minimize the seriousness but that is birdshot which usually has much less gunpowder than say buckshot. Same stuff that Dick Cheney uses on his friends. 

    True.
    Apple need to beef up their cases a new study has revealed.
    :D
  • Reply 11 of 81
    mstonemstone Posts: 11,510member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by chadbag View Post

     



    That was very close range (based on the spread pattern).   That will kill you at that range.




    Yep an ounce of shot at 9000 PSI at point blank range can be lethal for sure. All I'm saying is with steel or lead shot, it would go right through that phone.

  • Reply 12 of 81
    thewhitefalconthewhitefalcon Posts: 4,453member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by RobM View Post



    Wow - that's from close range !



    I wouldn't have thought anything other than a metal case would have stood up to a shotgun blast - oh yes, of course riot gear's made out of composites, I know.

    But still a plastic phone case ... insane.



    Remember there's a metal backing plate inside.

  • Reply 13 of 81
    mike1mike1 Posts: 3,275member

    But did the phone still work afterward? /s

  • Reply 14 of 81
    robmrobm Posts: 1,068member
    Wait.
    Lookit - the case is bent !
    bendgate II begins ....
  • Reply 15 of 81
    chadbagchadbag Posts: 1,999member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by mstone View Post

     



    Yep an ounce of shot at 9000 PSI at point blank range can be lethal for sure. All I'm saying is with steel or lead shot, it would go right through that phone.




    It was probably lead shot.  I am confused by what you are saying.

     

    Polycarbonate is pretty good at absorbing and deforming.

  • Reply 16 of 81
    tinktink Posts: 395member
    I would have been more impressed if he didn't have to return home to make the call but used the iPhone.. ;-)
  • Reply 17 of 81
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by mike1 View Post

     

    But did the phone still work afterward? /s




    He immediately ordered fish and chips.

  • Reply 18 of 81
    flaneurflaneur Posts: 4,526member
    I guess this guy didn't get the message that the 5C was a ripoff and a failure. In my opinion, he would have been in worse shape with that thin aluminum shell on the 5/5S.
  • Reply 19 of 81
    wizard69wizard69 Posts: 13,377member
    robm wrote: »
    Wow - that's from close range !

    I wouldn't have thought anything other than a metal case would have stood up to a shotgun blast - oh yes, of course riot gear's made out of composites, I know.
    But still a plastic phone case ... insane.

    Shotgun shells come in a range of performance values depending upon the intended use. There is a massive difference between a trap load and a load for goose hunting. On top of that you have a laminate of different materials all layered together.
  • Reply 20 of 81
    ilovestuffilovestuff Posts: 143member
    Always get Apple Care.
Sign In or Register to comment.