What could have been a disastrous tech failure ended up saving a Brazilian man’s life during a dog attack.
Reinaldo Duarte de Almeida, a mechanic, was walking to work on February 18 when two stray dogs suddenly attacked him. As one lunged toward his neck, he turned to shield himself, and the dog bit into his pants pocket — where his smartphone was kept.
The bite punctured the phone’s battery, triggering an explosion that injured both Almeida and the dog, causing the animals to flee. He was taken to an emergency unit with burns to his leg and fingers and received eight stitches for a bite wound. He has since been discharged and is recovering.
Almeida chose not to press charges after the dogs’ owner apologized and agreed to cover his medical costs and replace the phone. Authorities described the case as negligence in animal custody.
Though phone batteries can explode if punctured, such incidents are rare. In this case, Almeida said the 20-day-old device likely saved his life.