My GoPro hero 5 fell in the salt water

Hi @shattemer ,

As you know water and electronics and electricity are not a good mix.

The water causes corrosion and provides circuit paths for the electricity which were not in the camera's operating design and could damage the components.

Rice is good to eat but it does nothing to fix the problems caused by corrosion.

Don't Put Your Device in Rice. Here's Why...

First do not turn on your camera and then you need to remove the battery as soon as possible from the camera to minimize further damage.''

Then you need to dis-assemble the rest of the camera and clean all the affected parts using Isopropyl Alcohol 90%+ (IPA - available at most pharmacies) to remove all traces of corrosion and water. Do not use "rubbing alcohol" as in some cases this is only IPA 70% or less, can contain scents and is not as effective. If you do check the label to verify the amount of IPA

Here is a link that in general, describes the process.

Electronics Water Damage

You will probably have to replace the battery as it is very hard to recover a battery from water damage.

As always with electronics, especially surface mounted PCBs be gentle when handling and especially when brushing away the corrosion. You do not want to remove any components from the board.

Here is a link to the ifixit GoPro Hero5 Black guides which may be of some help.

Hopefully after you have done all this the camera might possibly work correctly again.

If this process seems too daunting, contact a reputable, professional camera or electronics repair service, experienced in liquid damage repair and ask for a quote for a repair. If you decide to do this, do it sooner than later.