We all know that death is often defined as the cessation of all biological functions that sustain a living organism.
After death, our body undergoes a decomposition process. So, how does the decomposition of a corpse occur in water?
Typically, when buried in the ground, the decomposition process begins after 5 to 10 days. At this point, microorganisms and bacteria in the body start to “celebrate”, attacking soft tissues. As hair and nails gradually fall out, bacteria and various insects continue to burrow deeper into the body until only the skeleton remains. This process can take years.
However, when a corpse is exposed to the open air, the situation is different. Bacteria, along with countless insects like maggots and beetles, attack the soft tissues. Depending on weather conditions, it is not unusual to find up to 250,000 maggots on an exposed corpse. Scavengers like stray dogs and vultures also contribute to accelerating the decomposition process. Ultimately, the body may be reduced to bones in as little as two weeks.
So, what happens to a corpse submerged in water? Without the presence of insects and maggots, this process is slower than that of an exposed body, but underwater corpses still decompose quite rapidly.
As soon as the Grim Reaper makes an appearance, the heart stops beating, and the body begins to relax. After a few minutes, the body will start to cool (this cooling of the corpse is known as algor mortis) due to the lack of blood circulation and the generally lower temperature underwater.
Upon falling into the water, the corpse quickly sinks due to the influx of water into the lungs and stomach. After 30 minutes to 1 hour, the skin on the palms and soles begins to turn pale from immersion. Post-mortem lividity (the reddish-purple patches that appear on the skin and organs after death) becomes noticeable and spreads quickly.
Drowning victims will exhibit frothy fluid from their nostrils and mouth, known as “drowning foam,” which only occurs if respiration happened in the water (if the victim had died before falling into the water, this phenomenon would not be present).
After 30 minutes to 1 hour, the skin on the palms and soles begins to turn pale from immersion
After 15 to 24 hours, the corpse begins to decompose. At this stage, bacteria within the body start to self-digest, producing gases that cause the body to bloat and rise to the surface. Having been submerged for too long, the skin of the deceased becomes pale, wrinkled, and loses elasticity, eventually sloughing off. Additionally, once exposed to air and light, the areas of the corpse that surface change to blue or blackish-brown.
In the following 24 to 48 hours, the epidermis of the body begins to separate. The phenomenon of “gloving” and “socking” occurs on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet (terms used in forensic examinations to refer to the complete shedding of skin in these areas).
During the next 5 to 15 days, the process becomes particularly “ghastly.” At this point, hair and nails have fallen out, and the scalp skin along with the flesh has completely sloughed off, leaving only the skull. Internal organs begin to decay and progressively decompose.
However, if the water temperature is relatively low (below 21 degrees Celsius), the body will form a layer of “corpse wax” – adipocere (a compound formed from fats as bacteria destroy tissues), acting as a natural preservative.
During this time, the body serves as a feast for small aquatic creatures like crabs and fish, which may come to nibble at the soft tissues of the face (eyes, lips, etc.). Additionally, larger fish may appear, hastening the decomposition process, ultimately leaving only the skeleton behind.
Generally, the process of skeletonization of a corpse underwater lasts from 1 to 2 months, but it can occur sooner. In 2002, a study was conducted at the border between Portugal and Spain to investigate 9 corpses that had drifted hundreds of kilometers.
After 20 days, only 2 bodies were found, and they were in a state of extreme decomposition, identifiable only through DNA technology. In 2008, another study in warmer water examined 2 bodies found after 34 days of drifting; parts of their bodies had undergone skeletonization, while one body that drifted for 3 months was completely skeletonized.
