Electrocution in a bath

MacKenzie, E.C.

doi:10.1016/s1355-0306(95)72677-6

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

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“…Subsequent investigation showed that the bath had a low resistance to earth, and there were faults in both the house wiring and the radiator cable, which together with a high blood alcohol content, produced a fatal chain of events. 3 Saukko (2016) 4 also reported the case of a homicidal electrocution in the bath. A young woman was found dead in her bath, slumped forwards in a kneeling position with one breast resting against a chrome tap.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Initially, the case was treated as accidental death, but the police charged the husband with murder on the grounds that his wife could not have died in the manner he described. Subsequent investigation showed that the bath had a low resistance to earth, and there were faults in both the house wiring and the radiator cable, which together with a high blood alcohol content, produced a fatal chain of events 3 …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Double Death Electrocution in the Bathtub

Blumenthal

Mabotja

Soul

2022

Am J Forensic Med Pathol

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We report the case of a 25-year-old woman and her 3-year-old son who were found dead in the bathtub because of electrocution. The case happened in August, which is winter, in South Africa. An electrical urn used to heat the bathwater was plugged into the mains and apparently fell into the water. The chrome taps contacted the shoulder of the woman and provided a pathway for the electrical current. Both mother and child died from electrocution, although the child showed signs of drowning. This case is unique in that it represents a double death due to electrocution in a bathtub.At the scene, inside the bathroom of a suburban house, 2 bodies lying side-by-side were present. Initially, the bodies were covered with a blanket by the next of kin. An electric metal urn, containing minimal water, was noted on the edge of the bathtub plugged into a plug point installed inside the bathroom.The naked bodies of a woman and a boy were observed lying inside the water-filled bathtub. The bodies were cold to touch, and the water was cool. The water-level mark could be clearly identified on the skin of both bodies, as evidenced by well-defined, as well as fixed, lividity/hypostasis. Rigor mortis was present in the large muscle groups (Figs. 1-3).The bodies were lying next to each other and longitudinally along the length of the water-filled bathtub (Figs. 4-6).The female body was lying supine with the back of the body submerged in the water. A well-defined water level mark with lividity/hypostasis was observed on the posterior aspect of the body. The head was above the water with the right ear and right shoulder in contact with the chrome metal tap. A plume of white froth was present at the nostrils. Electrothermal injuries were observed on the left leg, which corresponded with a mark on the one side of the electrical urn. Electrothermal injuries were also observed on the right ear and right shoulder. No other external injuries were observed upon initial inspection of the body (Figs. 7-9).The body of the boy was wedged between the one free wall of the bathtub and the right side of the body of the woman. The boy's face was fully submerged within the water with a plume of bloodtinged froth noted within the nostrils and mouth. A clearly defined water level mark with fixed lividity/hypostasis was observed on the anterior aspect of the body. Initial cursory examination at the Manuscript

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Double Death Electrocution in the Bathtub

Blumenthal

Mabotja

Soul

2022

Am J Forensic Med Pathol

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“…sweat) or if the victim is completely immersed in liquid (e.g. in a bathtub): in the latter scenario electric burn marks could be found in a few cases, where the majority are linear and at the waterline 8 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%