Drowning Katelin Benton Griffin Simmons

Phases of Drowning Surprise Involuntary breath holding Unconsciousness Hypoxic convulsions Clinical death

Surprise Recognizes danger Near vertical position Minimal to no leg movement Arms at or near surface Head tilted back Rarely any sounds Struggling to breath Random Gasping 45 seconds to 1 minute

Involuntary Breath Holding Dropped below water line Initiates involuntary breath holding Water has entered the mouth Epiglottis covers airway May continue to struggle Usually no sounds Victim loses oxygen 1 to 1:30 minutes

Unconsciousness Body is without oxygen Shuts itself down Motionless Breathing stopped = Respiratory arrest Sinks to bottom No chest movement Remain unconscious unless breathing is restored 2 to 3 minutes

Hypoxic Convulsions May look like convulsing Skin turns blue Especially lips and fingernail beds Body may appear rigid Violent jerking Frothing at the mouth 3 to 4 minutes

Clinical Death Final stage Breathing and circulation stop Cardiac arrest Heart stops Organs no longer receiving oxygen rich blood Skin turns blue 6 minutes and your dead

Fresh or Brackish Water Water passes from lungs to blood Hemolysis and dilution of blood Abrupt increase in blood volume 2.5 liters of water = 3 minutes Hypotonic

Sea Water Water drawn from blood into lung tissue Severe pulmonary edema and heypernatraemia Haemoconcentration Salts from water in the lungs pass into the blood stream Hypertonic

Findings Hard to prove wasn't accidental death Eyewitness or physical wounds What didn't happen Blood in the lungs Reminders of surrounding area Water in the lungs

More Specific Froth at the mouth and nostrils Water in stomach and intestines Lungs = Doughy, Inflated, Spongy Cardiac arrest Pulmonary edema Diatoms test: Microscopic algae, very unreliable, theory is that normal people do not have a significant number of them.

Postmortem changes Postmortem lividity on face, hands, upper part of chest, lower arms, feet and the calves Few hours: skin opaque and wrinkled (washer woman's fingers) Few days: skin begins to separate 1 week: Bloating in abdomen, face, and genitals 1-2 weeks: skin peels off hands and feet Contraction of elector pili muscles: Rigor mortis and cold Decomposes at half the rate a body in the air does Contact with underwater obstructions can cause damage

http://writeworld.org/post/50340132890/true-forensics- drowning-mechanical-asphyxia http://www.exploreforensics.co.uk/drowning.html http://www.forensicpathologyonline.com/E- Book/asphyxia/drowning https://www.colinshope.org/Media/PressRelease.aspx?I D=ef7e66fe-5c39-4176-b822-a99c50b480bb https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=200904 05221544AAdrYFu