dragging up a dead body from the sea

Laurie Champion · Sep 24, 2007

Is it feasible that a person could die in the sea, head injury via a fall, and be found 6 hours later. Or is it one of those situations where if not found quickly, likely not to be found? In the story, rescue teams go in pretty quickly (on-stage in the novel) but takes 6 hrs (off-stage in the novel) to find the body.

Could this happen?

kristie911 · Sep 24, 2007

If he was wearing a life jacket he would be found a lot easier but I honestly have no idea how long a body will float.

Mandy-Jane · Sep 24, 2007

I've heard of dead bodies in the sea never being found. But I also know that many of the Titanic victims were found several days after they died, all very well-preserved because of the freezing water.

scarletpeaches · Sep 24, 2007

I have nothing to add to this thread except I love the saying, "First they bloat, then they float."

Lyra Jean · Sep 24, 2007

I guess it would depend if the sharks got to it and if there was a storm.

auntybug · Sep 24, 2007

Hubby was in the Coast Guard - The body would be floating if "criters" didn't get it. It could be found dependng on weather, search parties & such. It would be blue/white & mega "prune-y".

kristie911 · Sep 24, 2007

auntybug said:
It would be blue/white & mega "prune-y".

Not to mention after it was in the water long enough (after the bloating and decomposing started) the bodies totally fall apart when you try to grab them. Especially if they spent time under water. It's really nasty.

JoniBGoode · Sep 24, 2007

kristie911 said:
Not to mention after it was in the water long enough (after the bloating and decomposing started) the bodies totally fall apart when you try to grab them. Especially if they spent time under water. It's really nasty.

It's not the ocean, but a body was recently fished out of Lake Michigan that had been there for 3 weeks.

It was floating about half a mile from the water intake for the city of Chicago. I know it was only one small dead body (that we know of) in the entire lake, and the water is treated before it comes out of your tap...but still, that's why I drink bottled water!

(I recently read In Harms Way, a non-fiction book about a ship that sinks, and they recovered a number of bodies in the South Pacific that had been dead for 3 days or so. I don't think it would be unbelieveable, to have the body recovered.)

Laurie Champion · Sep 24, 2007

Thanks, but time frame is the issue not a general "will a body be found at sea?"

Thanks you guys, but the question is the time frame, not whether or not the body would be found in general. Is finding it in SIX hours (no more no less) believable? If it floated it wouldn't take 6 hours, would it? And yes, I know bodies have been found after a long period of time, but I was hoping to find out if I said "they found the body 6 hours later" would be believable.

Thanks so much.

Horseshoes · Sep 24, 2007

Yes, it's feasible. When rescue/recovery efforts begin soon enough. Factors affecting the find-ability are weather hampering the recovery crews and weather moving the body (at a different pace than the foundered boat moves). Don't have it be one tiny dot in the middle of the ocean away from shipping lanes, away from rescue/recovery and you're fine. Sometimes ya get lucky and make the find sooner rather than later/never.

dragging up a dead body from the sea

Laurie Champion

kristie911

Happy to be here

Mandy-Jane

venturing ever further into the unknown

scarletpeaches

Lyra Jean

Two years old now.

auntybug

teh other evil broad

kristie911

Happy to be here

JoniBGoode

Laurie Champion

Horseshoes

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