Morbid Curiosity - What to Do with a Human Cadaver ?

[enovillo]

Imagine you're half way across the Pacific and one of your crew members dies. Not a violent death; an accident, heart attack, etc. You're 7 to 10 days away from land.

Ignoring the stress and grief that such death would generate, I'm curious about the practical issues: what are the legal considerations that should be kept present? What laws apply with respect to what to do with the body? Is it ok to throw it overboard?

[rebel heart]

Morbid but I'd probably take some pictures and record exactly what happened as best you can in a log book or on a digital video. Times, position, disposition, action taken, etc.

I would not throw a body overboard. The week of nastiness caused by a dead guy on board is nothing compared to being implicated in a murder or otherwise destruction of evidence.

Call the authorities via any mechanism available of course.

[capngeo]

Another Thread Here

[capngeo]

Originally Posted by rebel heart

Morbid but I'd probably take some pictures and record exactly what happened as best you can in a log book or on a digital video. Times, position, disposition, action taken, etc.

I would not throw a body overboard. The week of nastiness caused by a dead guy on board is nothing compared to being implicated in a murder or otherwise destruction of evidence.

Call the authorities via any mechanism available of course.

Seriously? Have you ever been in the presence of a week old corpse? I'd toss the bugger before he got cool!

[boasun]

If your vessel is large enough and has a walk-in cooler, you'll place the deceased, well wrapped in plastic bags, into the cooler.
But this isn't possible on, lets say a 34 to 40 foot vessel. Now what would they do?

But when I was working on a cable layer, we had a death on board. At first we were going to halifax NS, but ended up going to Boston MA, a few hundred miles further. Why? because the man was a USA Citizen & Government employee, and there would have been a ton of diplomatic paper work to ship the body across International borders.

[rebel heart]

Originally Posted by capngeo

Seriously? Have you ever been in the presence of a week old corpse? I'd toss the bugger before he got cool!

Just not worth it. I imagine the smell is on par with a third world prison.

Wrap the guy up in trash bags and a sleeping bag, lash him down to the stern rails, or up on the foredeck, whichever is less horrible to smell. Just seems a little fishy (pardon the pun) to roll into a port and say "Well, sorry this guy died and rather than deal with the smell we dumped him in the ocean. How do you know I didn't shoot him? Trust me!"

[sailorboy1]

My wife and I talked about this after the last thread.

You would think that this would be talked about more. I can see this happening at least as much as some of the things people get all parniod about.

[kenny chaos]

Originally Posted by rebel heart

I imagine the smell is on par with a third world prison.
"

Please confirm that you gave advice, and are arguing your advice, based on what you imagine?
Thanks-
Kenny

[boasun]

Someone could check with the USCG or with a (shudder) lawyer.

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by boasun

there would have been a ton of diplomatic paper work to ship the body across International borders.

Even when the body is not a US Govt Employee lots of paperwork and expense involved in shipping a corpse - to be fair, obvious health concerns involved.

Cheapest / Easiest is a local cremation - and then into the luggage by Jumbo Jet . Although I won't claim to be an expert on every religion , if it helps - getting cremated is not an automatic bar to an internment (i.e. in your own / family grave with a headstone and name) -even where the deceased got cremated abroad .........not to say that local rules don't apply .

and as the casket gets appropriately sized you save about 4 foot of polished $$$ and can also fit a few more into the same plot / level later .

(care that not all "foreign" cremations go down to dust, unless you request - I mention just in case it comes as a last surprise to be scattering body parts rather than dust ).


Dead people = lots of dull practical stuff to consider.......

[hpeer]

Report a MOB, last seen at midnight when changing shift.

Did not wake up relief.

Discovered missing at 600am?

If you were cynical you could do that, but no one here would.

[barnakiel]

The problem is ex I might be to big for my first mate to haul ex me from down below to the cockpit and then over the lines.

Chopping up is not an option.

Ideas?

b.

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

The problem is ex I might be to big for my first mate to haul ex me from down below to the cockpit and then over the lines.

Chopping up is not an option.

Ideas?

b.

Do you have a cat?

[Mark1977]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

The problem is ex I might be to big for my first mate to haul ex me from down below to the cockpit and then over the lines.

Chopping up is not an option.

Ideas?

b.

There was a thread about storing anchors below while underway, lots of good ideas there.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

The problem is ex I might be to big for my first mate to haul ex me from down below to the cockpit and then over the lines.

Chopping up is not an option.

Ideas?

b.

Block and tackle rigged on the boom with line led to port winch.... topping lift line led to starboard winch...
Block n tackle line to haul corpse to foot of companionway then topping lift to haul up... swing to the side and after quick word to whichever thing your adhere to cut the line.
If you wanna do it properly sew them up in the storm jib with chain round the ankles and the last stitch through the nose...
Makes the hauling a bit harder with the extra weight.... but at least no one can complain about you leaving 'Floaters'....