Decomposition Changes in Bodies Recovered from Water (2024)

Decomposition in Water

Decomposition progresses far differently in a liquid medium compared to whatoccurs in air. Similar to the usual decomposition process that occurs in a dryenvironment, postmortem changes in water are affected by temperature, animalpredation, clothing, and microorganisms. Additional variables such as currentand the physical changes brought about by saturation of the tissue will alterthe appearance of a body located in water. The author and others have observedthat postmortem decomposition proceeds rapidly after the body is removed fromthe liquid environment. For that reason it is recommended that the postmortemexamination not be delayed for any significant length of time after a body isrecovered from the water (1).

Early Postmortem Changes and Signs of Immersion

If a body of water is the primary death scene and the body has been immersed foronly a short period of time, the position of the body will be affected byclothing and any personal effects on the body (Image 1). If the individual hasdrowned, typically the body will initially submerge and assume what has beencalled the “drowning position.” This is where the anterior aspect of theindividual faces the bottom of the body of the water and the extremities andhead hang downward toward the bottom while the individual's back is toward thesurface (Image 2)(2). In shallow water, thehands, knees, dorsal aspect of the feet, and the forehead may drag along thebottom, creating postmortem cutaneous abrasions that may be difficult todifferentiate from antemortem injuries (Image 3). These abrasions will beexaggerated in a strong current. As putrefaction progresses and gases are formedfrom bacterial activity, the body will typically surface unless entangled or thebuoyancy is altered by clothing or personal effects. In a strong current orrough sea state the remains may strike rocks or brush with enough force tocreate the appearance of significant external trauma to the body.

Perhaps the most well-known external change that immersion in liquid has on thebody is wrinkling of the skin, particularly involving the hands and feet (3). Traditionally this has beencalled “washerwoman's hands” or “washerwoman's changes,” though a betterdesignation on the autopsy report would be cutaneous changes of immersion(Image 4).Cutis anserina or goose flesh is another cutaneous change of immersion and iscaused by rigor of the erector pilli muscles within the skin. Both of thesechanges, wrinkling and cutis anserina, will occur as a postmortem change and donot require the individual to be alive upon entering the water (2). The usual postmortem changesof vascular marbling, dark discoloration of skin and soft tissue, bloating, andputrefaction occur in the water as they do on land though at a different rate,particularly in cold water (4). Sloughing of the skin, particularly involving the hands and feet, iscommon with prolonged immersion (Image 5).

Drowning victims frequently have fluid collections in the pleural cavities atautopsy regardless of the postmortem interval. While some of the pleural fluidmay represent true effusion occurring as part of the drowning process, fluidaccumulation in the pleural spaces is also commonly present in bodies recoveredfrom the water that have undergone decomposition irrespective of the cause ofdeath. A similar phenomenon is seen with the presence of dirt and vegetation inthe respiratory tract. Some aspiration of foreign material may occur during thedrowning process, though water and debris may also enter the respiratory tree inthe postmortem period, particularly in turbulent water. Compared tonondecomposed bodies recovered from water, bodies that have undergonedecomposition and recovered from water have been found to have increased pleuralfluid accumulation, increased animal predation, and more commonly have dirt andvegetation in the lower respiratory tract (5). Rigor mortis and livor mortis are typicallypresent in bodies recovered from the water though the onset and waning of theseclassic postmortem changes may be altered by water temperature, current,changing of body position due to movement, and level of activity prior to death.Pink discoloration of the teeth and gums, an observation once thought to be asign of drowning, is likely due to lividity in these tissues occurring while thebody is in the aforementioned drowning position (6).

Temperature and Current

In most cases, the temperature of the water will be cooler than the ambient airtemperature. Cooler temperatures generally slow the decomposition process.Exceptions include hot tubs and tropical bodies of water. Current has primarilya mechanical effect on bodies in water. The body itself may be dragged for adistance, creating artifacts that can be mistaken for injuries. The remains orclothing may also get caught on rocks, branches and other objects in the water,creating artifacts that require proper interpretation (Image 6). Not only willa strong current transport the remains for a moderate or even long distance, butother objects in the water can get caught up in the current and come intocontact with the remains in a similar manner. In the ocean or fast runningrivers and streams the body may strike rocks or brush creating postmortemabrasions and lacerations. Actual injuries may be difficult to appreciate due toleaching of blood from the wounds by the liquid environment. A strong currentwill enhance the leaching process and a careful assessment for any vitalreaction is required to distinguish postmortem from antemortem trauma on thebody. Water temperature and current will affect the rate of cooling for a bodyin a liquid environment. The core temperature of the body at the time ofrecovery is even less helpful in determining postmortem interval when the bodyis recovered from water.

Adipocere

Adipocere formation may occur in wet or immersed bodies. Adipocere is ayellow-brown, waxy material composed of long chain hydrocarbons such as oleic,palmitic, and stearic acids. It is produced by the conversion of neutral lipidsto these compounds as part of the putrefaction process. Both enzymes in the bodyand within bacteria contribute to the conversion of lipids present in the bodyto the components of adipocere. Inadequate oxygen combined with a surplus oflipids results in insufficient microbial degradation. Adipocere has acharacteristic appearance and is generally resistant to further decomposition(Images 7 and​and88). The formationof adipocere usually occurs over a somewhat lengthy postmortem period, typicallyseveral months (7-9). However, relatively rapid formation ofadipocere has been described (10).

A similar putrefaction change may be observed on the surfaces of solid organs,particularly the liver, and on the surfaces of mucous membranes. White spotsthat have a somewhat miliary appearance have been observed in bodies that havebeen submerged for prolonged periods. This is presumed to be a breakdown oflipids in a process similar to adipocere formation or saponification(Image9).

Animal Predation

Animal predation, including insect activity, is very different in the waterenvironment. In some cases, the body will be floating on the surface and theusual arthropod predators such as blowflies and carrion beetles will have accessto exposed tissue. The immersed portion of the body will be subject to differentpredators. Aquatic insects may alter the appearance and condition of theremains. Large animals such as turtles, large fish, and large crustaceans willcause tissue damage that in some cases may mimic trauma to the body. Smallerfishes, crabs, shrimp, and invertebrates prey on soft tissue and if given theopportunity can completely deflesh exposed parts of the body. Fish, turtles, andother animals may aggressively feed on remains and in the ocean environment,large carnivores such as sharks will create postmortem artifacts. It is notunusual for small fish and crustaceans to gain access to the interior of thebody through skin and soft tissue defects or even normal body orifices (11,12). Examples of rapid skeletonization ofremains have been noted in tropical waters where carnivorous predators areabundant, such as the Amazon region of South America (Image 10). In the ocean, severalspecies of sharks and other large carnivorous fish commonly feed on humanremains. Large portions of human tissue, including entire extremities, have beenrecovered from the stomachs of sharks with some frequency. Sharks possessseveral rows of teeth and commonly, the teeth may be recovered from a bitewound. In most cases it will be concluded that the shark fed on the remainsafter the individual was deceased.

Financial Disclosure

The author has indicated that he does not have financial relationships todisclose that are relevant to this manuscript

ETHICAL APPROVAL

As per Journal Policies, ethical approval was not required for thismanuscript

STATEMENT OF HUMAN AND ANIMAL RIGHTS

This article does not contain any studies conducted with animals or on livinghuman subjects

STATEMENT OF INFORMED CONSENT

No identifiable personal data were presented in this manuscsript

DISCLOSURES & DECLARATION OF CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

The author, reviewers, editors, and publication staff do not report any relevantconflicts of interest

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