Journal de médecine légale

Sudden Unexpected Death by Myocardial Infarction Simulating Drowning: A Case Report

Abstract

Enow Orock GE, Njouendou JA and Obenson K

We report the case of a middle-aged male working on board a ship. His body was found floating in the river, near shoreline, by security officials. A postmortem on the decomposed body revealed a recent myocardial infarction. Comorbid conditions included coronary atheromatous disease and long term tobacco smoking. Not all bodies found dead in water are likely to have drowned. This case demonstrates the importance of a thorough forensic investigation, particularly in histological terms, in subjects found dead in water, in order to ascertain the real cause of death, which may not be always assigned to asphyxia by drowning.