My trusty Canon S5 IS super zoom digital camera recently took a dip into an alligator infested river. (Well, we only saw one alligator during the entire 4.5 hour experience on the Juniper Springs Canoe Run.)
I wasn’t able to save the camera since the lens had been filled with filthy water, but I did rescue the wet SD memory card using a technique that is widely recommended online.
Many small electronics that get dropped into water, spilled on, rained on, or otherwise soaked with a liquid can be recovered by first removing the battery, patting it dry and placing it into a Ziploc bag filled with rice. If the device got wet with anything other than water, it’s a good idea to carefully rinse it off with fresh water.
I placed my wet SD memory card in a quart sized Ziploc bag with about a cup of white rice and also a silica gel desiccant pack. I let the highly absorbent rice and desiccant packet work overnight to remove any moisture and then was able to easily copy the images from the memory card in the morning.
I’ve also had luck using this “rice & plastic bag” method in the past for restoring a cell phone and toy remote control car to working condition. The SD memory card is a fairly simple device so I only waited a day. I’d recommend waiting at least 3-5 days to turn on or use more complex devices such as digital cameras and cell phones.
Here are the pictures and video clips from the SD card above –