ABSTRACT
The pathological investigation of deaths following the recovery of a body from water is difficult, given that a wide range of potential explanations for death exist; some examples are given in
Box 16.1. The pathologist must attempt to address all of these potential explanations for death and determine if there is any pathological evidence capable of supporting a diagnosis of drowning. The death investigation must also address other questions such as how did the individual get into the water and what prevented survival?
