For One Woman, the iPhone 6s Was a Literal Lifesaver in Manchester
Much has been said about the iPhone, and I’m sure many people refer to the device as saving their lives. Most of those folks don’t really mean the phrase in the most literal sense, but at least one woman present during the May 22, 2017 terrorist attack can quite honestly call the device as her lifesaver in Manchester.
The iPhone 6S as a Shrapnel Shield
Lisa Bridgett is a boatyard manager in Pwllheli, North Wales, according to the Guardian. The woman was attending the concert with her daughter and her daughter’s friend, and was speaking on her iPhone 6S following the musical event in Manchester. According to her husband’s recent Facebook post, that’s when Salman Abedi detonated an explosive device. The apparatus sent steel nuts and other pieces of shrapnel spinning and blazing through the air. Bridgett was struck by a steel nut, which cut her finger and then struck the bottom portion of her iPhone. Her lifesaver in Manchester, the iPhone deflected the shrapnel from its original path, which clearly would have taken it into or through Bridgett’s brain.
Instead, the steel nut passed through the woman’s cheek, coming to rest in her nose. While she suffered a fractured ankle, a large bullet hole in her thigh, other cuts and bruises and, worst of all, the loss of the middle finger on her left hand, Bridgett escaped with her life. Her iPhone 6S, on the other hand, was not so fortunate, as you can see in the images below.
Did the Handset Really Deflect the Shrapnel?
This may seem a bit graphic but at the end of the day it's a reality ... she will make a full recovery although I don't think the finger will grow back!
- Steve Bridgett's Facebook postSure, it could be said that the shrapnel actually followed its natural trajectory and the iPhone 6S played no part in saving Bridgett’s life. However, the 7000 series aluminum used in manufacturing the casing of the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus is quite robust and durable. It seems likely that the device could have really been a lifesaver in Manchester, altering the original trajectory of the shrapnel.
For those wondering, Bridgett’s husband said in a recent Facebook post that his wife “is in a positive mood and feels very lucky to be alive.” She’s expected to make a full recovery, albeit with the permanent loss of her left hand’s middle finger. Others in Manchester that day were not so fortunate, as the attack claimed 22 lives. Bridgett and her husband both expressed gratitude to the Manchester police, the staff at the hospitals that have treated the woman, as well as a steward who helped Bridgett, her daughter, and her daughter’s friend get outside to safety.
