Skip to main content

iPhone lost in a river for 10 months reunited with owner, and it still works

Apple says that its most recent iPhones are built to handle up to 30 minutes in up to six meters of water.

So imagine Owain Davies’ surprise when he discovered that his own iPhone still worked after lying submerged in a river for 10 months.

Perhaps even more remarkable is that the phone was recovered and handed back to Davies, who had long given up hope of ever seeing it again after losing it on a canoeing trip in Gloucestershire, England, last summer.

Miguel Pacheco found Davies’ iPhone while out boating with his family. Sharing the remarkable story with the BBC, Pacheco said the phone looked in bad shape and so he was convinced it would never power up. However, thinking that it might have content on it that was important to the owner, he took the handset home, dried it out, and put it on charge.

To his astonishment, the phone powered up.

The iPhone’s screensaver showed the date of August 13, the day the device fell in the water. It also showed a photo of a young couple. Pacheco posted the image on social media, and following thousands of shares, the owner’s identity was eventually confirmed.

With the phone now back in his possession, Davies explained that he lost the device when he toppled into the water after trying to stand up in his canoe.

“The phone was in my back pocket and as soon as I was in the water I realized the phone was gone,” he told the BBC.

In a similarly remarkable story from six years ago, a man’s iPhone 4 somehow survived 18 months — yes, 18 months — submerged in an icy lake, though the tough case that it was in may well have helped.

More recently, a man took drastic action and dived into freezing water to rescue his iPhone, which he’d dropped a few hours earlier. A passerby captured a video of the dramatic moment the owner jumped into the water to retrieve his handset. And yes, it still worked.

Editors' Recommendations

Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
Does the iPhone 15 have an overheating problem? Here’s what we know
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max's camera module.

Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Last fall, Apple unveiled the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro series, which generated a lot of excitement among consumers. However, some users who got their hands on the devices early on expressed dissatisfaction by taking to social media to complain about overheating issues.

Read more
Your iPhone just got a new iOS update, and you should download it right now
iPhone 15 Pro display with iPhone 15 Pro Max in background.

Apple has just released a new security update, iOS 17.4.1. This comes a little over two weeks after iOS 17.4, which was a big update. iOS 17.4.1 doesn't add any new features, but it's still an important update you'll want to download as soon as you can.

With iOS 17.4.1, Apple states that the update “provides important bug fixes and security updates and is recommended for all users.” Apple doesn’t mention any specifics of these bug fixes, but more details on what this security update addresses may be revealed at a later date.

Read more
The DOJ has sued Apple over the iPhone. Here’s what it means for you
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max and iPhone 14 Pro seen from the back.

Apple iPhone 14 Pro (left) and iPhone 15 Pro Max Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

If you're reading this article, chances are you have an iPhone. It's also quite likely that your friends and family members also use an iPhone. The iPhone is the smartphone of choice for millions of people in the U.S., and now, the Department of Justice (DOJ) is suing Apple over the iPhone monopoly it has established over the years.

Read more