If you found someone dead?

[unruliejulie]

yesterday morning , my Mum went to check on her neighbour, a man in this late 80's. She found him on the bathroom floor, half undressed and very much dead, eyes wide open and very cold!!! It shook her up even though she has seen many a dead body over the years!
It made me think, what would you do if you found someone dead, would you touch the body to feel for a pulse or try and move them, what? or maybe you have been in this situation, if so how did you handle it, not just at the time but afterwards?
I cant imagine having to deal with that, it must be awful.

[paddywak]

While employed by British Coal I had the misfortune to be involved in the aftermath of a fatal acident. I think we all knew Norman was dead but we worked as fast as we could to get him clear & out of the pit to hospital. It was very upsetting especially as he was someone we all knew well, but when it really hit me was a couple of days later, somebody mentioned the accident & I started shaking & couldn't stop, I had to go home & take a couple of days off work. I 've since talked about the rest of the men who were there & they all admitted that even after 20yrs it still upsets them.

[missyR]

When i was about 5 years old me and my mam went round to the next door neighbours (80 years old) and found him dead - but my mam said that at the time she said i thought he was just playing. I didn't see his face or touch him , he was just at the bottom of the stairs.

[welshfox]

I really hope your mum is okay - I know its a major shock, and especially if they were close. Ive had to see and handle quite a few bodies, due to being a policewoman, and its not nice - eventhough you may not have ever met or spoken to the person involved, you're willing them to be alive when you break into their house, if you have to. It's even harder if you have had some sort of relationship with them, even if just a professional one. I dreaded my first 'sudden death', but it gets to the point where you have to look at the process of life and death as a science, and try not to get emotionally attached - sadly its not always that easy. I dont think you ever get de-senstised to it, but I've never been in the same situation twice to be able to tell.

I find telling a relative that their loved one has died much harder than dealing with the deceased themselves, because I can't help the grieving relative in the way they want me to, but at least I can treat the deceased with the respect and dignity they deserve while they're in my 'care'. And if its in suspicious circumstances, I make sure that I do my job properly to try to ensure that they get the justice and peace in death they deserve, that they werent given in life. I really hope your Mum will be okay xx

[ELVIS68]

The only dead bodies i`ve seen are ones that have either been hit by a train or electrocuted by 25,000 volts

At the time you don`t really think about it, but it hits you later on

[ReinaLuna]

I think it is shocking because us, as humans, usually forget we are not eternal. So, death can be so scary when you face it so close to you, even worse in this unexpected way. But I am always trying to see a good thing inside the bad ones, so, for this one, I'd say your mum probably felt really awful, but it made her give value to everybody she has in her life, and having to face this situation made so many people get worried with her, that she probably got many hugs and support, and that IS good!!!

Send her a hug from me also, and hope she is feeling better already... xxx

[unruliejulie]

Thank you so much for all these fantastic answers. I'm sorry that so many have seen things that we shouldn't, that must be very hard but i guess that's life!

My Mum is fine but i think it will stay with her for the rest of her days. Thing is, she's 72 now and i suppose it makes you question your own mortality just that little bit more.

A special thank you to the professionals who have answered this, just because i think you do a fantastic job!

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