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State of decomposition in fresh water?
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Would prior to death and post mortem injuries be discernable on a human body that had been in a fresh water lake for 10 days?
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Yes.
A body can sustain futher injuries in water after death (hit by boats, bumping into logs, debris etc) but the presence of bleeding will distinguish post mortem injuries from ante mortem injuries.
Also, the normal process of decomposition in a body (which begin approx four minutes after death) may be delayed if the water is cold, and even more so if the water is deep and the body is not on the surface. this means the body may be in a better state of preservation in water than in air. Bodies in cold deep water form adipocere (google it if you don't know what it is) which protects against further decomposition.
A body can sustain futher injuries in water after death (hit by boats, bumping into logs, debris etc) but the presence of bleeding will distinguish post mortem injuries from ante mortem injuries.
Also, the normal process of decomposition in a body (which begin approx four minutes after death) may be delayed if the water is cold, and even more so if the water is deep and the body is not on the surface. this means the body may be in a better state of preservation in water than in air. Bodies in cold deep water form adipocere (google it if you don't know what it is) which protects against further decomposition.
My fiance recently drowned and I am not very satisfied with the coroners answers, or lack of answers, actually. I feel like the matter needs to be looked at by someone with more expertise. however, I am not a doctor, nor do I have any experience in water fatalities. So, I just am looking for some answers...could the coroners statement that his body was too decomposed to tell if he had any injuries possibly be correct? Maybe I'm just looking for answers that aren't possible to get? Or, maybe (and I do feel like this is the likely scenario) this coroner just didn't have the correct equipment and/or experience to properly evaluate the situation?
The coroner told me that water speeds decompesition and that is why he was not able to tell if he had any injuries or not. Everything I've found online seems to indicate the opposite is true. Is there any way the coroners statement could be correct?
One more thing, I spoke with a woman in the coroners office and raised these concerns....told her that I am aware he does not normally handle any water fatalities in that area. There is a different coroners office more equipped and that other office is where the surrounding counties all send water fatalities. I told her I wonder, although the coroner is a doctor, is it like having a foot doctor look at a brain surgery? Maybe a different coroner with more experience would be more capable of discerning which injuries were pre and post mortem. She told me there is No WAY- anyone could tell if he had ANY injuries at all. Is it possible for the state of decomposition to be that severe? (9 1/2 days, fresh water, there was one day that the water was really rough, white caps, etc., but otherwise, pretty calm waters. Outside temperature during the whole time was mostly around mid 80's)
Just doesn't make sense to me. But, like I said, I'm in no position to say if that's right or wrong. I'm looking for input from someone who may know.
Thanks.
The coroner told me that water speeds decompesition and that is why he was not able to tell if he had any injuries or not. Everything I've found online seems to indicate the opposite is true. Is there any way the coroners statement could be correct?
One more thing, I spoke with a woman in the coroners office and raised these concerns....told her that I am aware he does not normally handle any water fatalities in that area. There is a different coroners office more equipped and that other office is where the surrounding counties all send water fatalities. I told her I wonder, although the coroner is a doctor, is it like having a foot doctor look at a brain surgery? Maybe a different coroner with more experience would be more capable of discerning which injuries were pre and post mortem. She told me there is No WAY- anyone could tell if he had ANY injuries at all. Is it possible for the state of decomposition to be that severe? (9 1/2 days, fresh water, there was one day that the water was really rough, white caps, etc., but otherwise, pretty calm waters. Outside temperature during the whole time was mostly around mid 80's)
Just doesn't make sense to me. But, like I said, I'm in no position to say if that's right or wrong. I'm looking for input from someone who may know.
Thanks.
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