Have you ever seen a dead body ?

[The Birdman]

My Mum had a fear of being put in a coffin still alive and made me promise to make sure she was dead. Made the visit to the undertakers and she looked very serene after the pain of a terminal cancer.

Other time was an Indian cyclist in Riyadh with his head burst open by a car. The police were directing traffic around the scene and hadn't covered the body. I had to look down at it to make sure I didn't drive over it. Very distressing.

had to get of a tram in Switerland that had hit sombody but they had covered the body in foil.

 

[BBassic]

Crime scene examiner



Sent from my VFD 300 using Tapatalk

Crikey, that must be an interesting job. I couldn't do it.

 

[alfredmizen]

Thanks for the replies. Helping me understand things. Hoping once back home and away from the scene I can deal with it better. I'm just glad I managed to shield the worst from my partner and lad who saw bits. Truly was the worst day of my life but compared to what his wife must be going through now it's seems silly.

Rip fella

You did your best mate , hope you get your head sorted fairly quickly.

 

[Pevenseagull]

Loads, all on the same day, by mistake.

Studying at UCL I had a viva voce for part of my course and they got the admin a bit mixed up and I ended up doing a medical student exam in the anatomical dissection room.
I was doing quite well on identifying all the bits and bob's and finding it very interesting if extremely grizzly. Then the examiner asked me to manipulate the organs of one of the cadavers to reveal the gall bladder (or something like that), slipping my hand under his liver (it was definitely a he) there was a squelchy sound and I instantaneously had a little snooze.

 

[The Fifth Column]

Dozens if not hundreds over the last 25 years. One of the downsides of being ex-military and my current job.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

I'm on holiday in the canaries currently and unfortunately day 1 I had to drag an unconscious man out of the sea. As soon as we turned him over to start cpr I could see obvious signs it wasn't going to be a good outcome. To the best efforts of all around after 30 minutes cpr he was declared dead on the beach. His poor wife just wailing uncontrollably as you would expect.

It's been playing on my mind and I'm having trouble sleeeping but the sight I saw was one I will never forget. It also made me realise that at aged 40 I had yet to see a dead body. Is this normal do you think ?

Apologies for the depressing thread but it might help me a little to express what I'm thinking and deal with it ....

Thanks

You did your best mate , hope you get your head sorted fairly quickly.

I'm wondering if you're feeling 'guilty' that you couldn't save his life. As alfred has said, you did your best and some things are meant to be.
If you're still struggling when you get home, please go to your doctors.

 

[Bwian]

In Phuket a couple of years ago. We were stuck in traffic (nothing new there in Phuket). 4 of us heading to the top of the island and the traffic was way worse than normal taking about 45 minutes instead of the usual 10 to get through one of the many regular bottlenecks. We eventualy got to the cause of the holdups-a pick up had flipped on its roof, crossed the central reservation and there was a woman, hanging upside down, blood still coming from her head. The value on life is different in Asia I think. She had clearly been there a while but nobody had bothered covering her body...

Have seen more but that was the most upsetting.

 

[The Fifth Column]

I'm on holiday in the canaries currently and unfortunately day 1 I had to drag an unconscious man out of the sea. As soon as we turned him over to start cpr I could see obvious signs it wasn't going to be a good outcome. To the best efforts of all around after 30 minutes cpr he was declared dead on the beach. His poor wife just wailing uncontrollably as you would expect.

It's been playing on my mind and I'm having trouble sleeeping but the sight I saw was one I will never forget. It also made me realise that at aged 40 I had yet to see a dead body. Is this normal do you think ?

Apologies for the depressing thread but it might help me a little to express what I'm thinking and deal with it ....

Thanks

Its never easy if you have no experience at dealing with such things. Over the years I've developed a kind of detachment when dealing with death, I try to not dwell on the personal grief of the families involved and look forward not back. Look at your own nearest and dearest and treasure them with a renewed vigour. It seems harsh but its happened, there was nothing you could do and you did more than most could or would have done so take heart from that. And talk to someone close and get it off your chest, have a good blub if you have to, its nothing to be ashamed of and will do you good.

 

[juliant]

I'm wondering if you're feeling 'guilty' that you couldn't save his life. As alfred has said, you did your best and some things are meant to be.
If you're still struggling when you get home, please go to your doctors.

Quite possibly. He was snorkelling and we were on kayaks. We noticed him a few minutes before and he may of been in trouble then. Only when he bumped into the back of my kayak did I realise something wasn't right. My partner has been great as other guests here who witnessed it. I suppose there will always be the element of could I have done more or should I of checked he was ok.

Many thanks to all who have replied and for the nsc hugs ! I think I shall wait until home but I do feel like a good blubber !!!

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Quite possibly. He was snorkelling and we were on kayaks. We noticed him a few minutes before and he may of been in trouble then. Only when he bumped into the back of my kayak did I realise something wasn't right. My partner has been great as other guests here who witnessed it. I suppose there will always be the element of could I have done more or should I of checked he was ok.

Many thanks to all who have replied and for the nsc hugs ! I think I shall wait until home but I do feel like a good blubber !!!

Have that blubber as soon as you can. It will do you good and it's perfectly natural. It's not weak but just being human.

 

[Sussex Nomad]

I'm on holiday in the canaries currently and unfortunately day 1 I had to drag an unconscious man out of the sea. As soon as we turned him over to start cpr I could see obvious signs it wasn't going to be a good outcome. To the best efforts of all around after 30 minutes cpr he was declared dead on the beach. His poor wife just wailing uncontrollably as you would expect.

It's been playing on my mind and I'm having trouble sleeeping but the sight I saw was one I will never forget. It also made me realise that at aged 40 I had yet to see a dead body. Is this normal do you think ?

Apologies for the depressing thread but it might help me a little to express what I'm thinking and deal with it ....

Thanks

Yes... my dad and I told him if he woke up I'd kill him!

 

[smeg]

Saw a few dead bodies actually while I lived in the USA, once when coming back from Tijuana saw a car crash aftermath with four or five charred bodies at the side of the road in a line, that was pretty bad. Saw someone get murdered (I think) at a rave where Psychic TV played in Los Angeles, some fella got stabbed about ten times, I didn't hang around for the outcome of that one. Also saw an old lady get run over when i was a kid, she died at the scene, that was back in the 70's, think thats it for me.

 

[marshy68]

My Mother and a woman hit my a train just outside Gatwick.

 

[pearl]

Its never easy if you have no experience at dealing with such things. Over the years I've developed a kind of detachment when dealing with death, I try to not dwell on the personal grief of the families involved and look forward not back. Look at your own nearest and dearest and treasure them with a renewed vigour. It seems harsh but its happened, there was nothing you could do and you did more than most could or would have done so take heart from that. And talk to someone close and get it off your chest, have a good blub if you have to, its nothing to be ashamed of and will do you good.

no idea what you do, but I think you need to take your own advice once in a while, don't get too detached

 

[Fungus]

Quite possibly. He was snorkelling and we were on kayaks. We noticed him a few minutes before and he may of been in trouble then. Only when he bumped into the back of my kayak did I realise something wasn't right. My partner has been great as other guests here who witnessed it. I suppose there will always be the element of could I have done more or should I of checked he was ok.

Many thanks to all who have replied and for the nsc hugs ! I think I shall wait until home but I do feel like a good blubber !!!

Well done for trying, many people would have just left it for someone else. Don't beat yourself up - no-one can be aware of all the possible problems.

 

[severnside gull]

Seen a few sadly. My brother-in-law died in my arms after a massive stroke - freed his tongue (which is harder than i imagined) and 20 minutes cpr but always too late. Had many similar feelings as the OP about should I have done more. Takes a long time to come to terms with unfortunately but the answer for me was that I did what I was able to.
Was peripherally involved in a motorway crash a few years back where you could smell the bodies burning of people trapped in their cars. Worse than seeing by far.

 

[Miocene]

was the first on scene of a fatal RTC. A lorry was doing U-Turn on a blind bend & crest of a hill. A car hit it broadside. The driver survived but his wife was very clearly deceased.
Hardest thing ive ever had to deal with was looking after the elderly gent while waiting for the emergency services. All the while the lorry driver was on the phone to his depot saying he was going to be a bit late!!

 

[Two Professors]

I'm not religious by any stretch of the imagination,but an Army padre's advice served me well.Just regard the dead body as a husk,the fruit has already left.

 

[symyjym]

A jumper in front of a the fast train between Portsmouth & London at Haslemere.

A friend we found in a garage after sniffing glue and petrol.

A friend who died at the scene of a crash on his scooter when I was following behind.

An old man dead in a phone box propped up with phone in hand. ( I assume he was calling for help)

A class mate got knocked down retrieving a tennis ball we were using as a football and died at Primary school and we were watching through the railings.

A road traffic accident in Michigan just outside Detroit in the freeway a minivan with a truck and two young men in the minivan were killed again one of the first on the scene on a foggy night.

Think thats it

Blimey, I wouldn't want to be in the same vicinity as you.

Edit: I can see I am not the only one who feels this.

 

[Durlston]

My Mother and a woman hit my a train just outside Gatwick.

That is terrible. I'm really sorry to read about that. Hope you're alright now.