The Frightening Case Of The Homicidal Shower Head
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Those who have traveled through Central America or Southeast Asia know what I’m talking about. Suicide showers, also known as “widow makers,” are showers where the water is heated in the shower head rather than the traditional method of being fed from a centralized hot water tank.
During the year I lived in Jocotenango, Guatemala, the suicide showers in our bathroom were a source of endless excitement and constant terror. Every few months one of them would explode and emit sparks, turning a simple shower into a scene from Armageddon.
After installing several brands, I began to suspect that the shower heads were not to blame and that maybe our house had shitty wiring. I brought this concern to my landlord who quickly dismissed it, assuring me that he had wired the house himself.
When friends and family visited me, I would warn them, “Don’t touch the shower head, it can kill you.”
But can it really? I knew that it could give someone quite a shock and that it was never pleasant when they exploded, but I had never actually heard of anyone being killed in the shower from one. So can they really kill you?
The answer, apparently, is yes, they can kill you.
After a little research, I learned that in 2011, a Swedish couple was killed in Thailand when they were electrocuted by a shower in their hotel. As reported by Sweden’s The Local, friends staying in the next room rushed in to the couple’s room after hearing the their screams.
The first person on the scene found them unconscious and attempted to revive them when she too received a powerful shock when she made contact. The Local also mentioned that this was not the first time Swedish tourists in Thailand had been killed by an electric shower. That’s a high price to pay for hot water, and further research shows that this is not an isolated incident, but one of the less considered dangers of travel.
After picking up dirt from the road, there’s nothing better than a hot shower, but just remember the sleeping psychopath. Enjoy the water, but do not touch the shower head.
About the Author
After setting out to hitchhike from Chile to Alaska, Luke Maguire Armstrong stopped in Guatemala where he spent four years directing the social service programs of the charity Nuestros Ahijados. He is the author of iPoems for the Dolphins to Click Home About, which is especially enjoyed by people “who don’t read poetry.” His new book, How We Are Human, was recently released. (Follow Luke on Twitter: @lukespartacus)