Even for those who work in careers where co-mingling with the deceased is a regular thing, seeing the dead is never normal. And the more gruesome the ending, the more unforgettable in the worst way. I often tend to skip going up to an open casket at funerals, so I can't imagine stumbling across the dead randomly. I close my eyes when I kill spiders.
Redditor u/ideologistpool wanted to know who has made some grisly discoveries they felt like chatting about by asking....
People who stumbled on a dead body, what's your story?
After the Shower
I arrived at work early one morning and went into the men's locker room.
Lying dead on the floor was a man I didn't recognize at first because his head was so swollen from where it hit the ceramic tile floor (in a pool of blood, as well).
Apparently, though only in his 40s, he had suffered a massive heart attack and collapsed to the floor after just having taken a shower in the adjoining shower room.
Looking at him more, I realized who it was: a long-time employee who was very well liked and admired. When the realization set in, it hit me like a ton of bricks.
The Woodrats
Was working as part of a forensics recovery team many years back, and we were sent to an area that an individual was suspected of dumping a couple bodies, but previous searches by the Sheriff's dept. turned up empty. Our team gets there and begins searching in the ravine (think trees and heavy underbrush), and we don't see any skeletal remains lying about (it had been over a year since they were dumped). That is when I noticed the numerous woodrat nests under some of the trees and brush, like LOTS of woodrat nests. In case you've never seen one, this is what they look like.
So, here is where it is important to know something about rodents...they love to chew on bones, and woodrats are hoarders. You see where this is going. So, I told the lead detective my hunch, and we proceeded to dismantle two of the woodrat nests. Lo and behold, we found human remains interspersed in the mound of twigs. Needless to say, we then tore down all of the dozen or so piles, and found many of the missing bones from the two individuals, all heavily gnawed on by rodents.
Foul Play
I've seen a few dead bodies and witnessed a few deaths, but truly discovered two. First one was when I was about eleven. My dad, my friend, our labrador retriever and I were duck hunting and camping out for the weekend near a large bay of water. We were walking on the beach the second night when we stumbled upon a male's body, fully clad in a winter coat, pants, and one Reebok Pump shoe. It was obvious he had been dead for some time, so it was hard to tell exactly how old.
After we trekked and boated back to the mainland, we called the police from a tiny gas station and they came out and had us take them out to where he was discovered. Turns out he had been missing for over two weeks, which explains why his eyes were pretty much gone and his skin looked... melted. They were later able to determine his identity and that he had disappeared while on a walk with his wife one night, about 10 miles from where he was discovered. Foul play was suspected by many, but as far as I know, no arrests were ever made.
The Battle
I was walking my gf to one of her favorite restaurants for her birthday. We walked through a big memorial park in my city on the way and we passed a man slumped over in a very uncomfortable looking way against a big limestone structure. I asked if he was alright and he didn't respond. I got down on my haunches to look at his face (he was slumped over with his hood up, contorted and face pointing at the ground). His eyes were open slightly and he was clearly dead.
We called 911 and waited until the paramedics arrived. They told us he had likely been dead for hours, suspected overdose.
Super sad. I think about that a lot recently as the number of people sleeping rough or are clearly suffering from addiction in my city has risen significantly since March.
At 13
I was 13, doing my paper round before school. Cut through an alleyway and heard a car engine. I looked round expecting to see a car pulling out into the alleyway but it was just sitting there with the engine idling with the guy at the wheel looking asleep. My legs sort of just kept going for a few seconds until I realized what the hosepipe going from the back of the car in through the window meant.
looking green....
When I was a kid, 5 or 6 maybe, a sort of friend of mine, neighborhood kid, vanished. Just went away. He was gone for about a week or so. It was summer and we lived near a kind of run down secluded beach only folk in our neighborhood used so one day a week or so after kid is gone my mom and I walk down to the beach. I follow a crab running on the beach and around this little hill I come across the kid's body.
No cell phones in those days so my mom grabbed me up, we ran home and she called 911, cops came, it was a whole thing.
I really remember much except thinking he looked... green. It was probably seaweed or something but in my memory he was all that color.
They never did find the guy. There was a local guy they suspected but it was never proven.
After the Storm
It was my first winter in Colorado after moving away from the desert. My apartment's back area is where I took my dog out to pee in the early mornings before work. The apartment building back there sat atop a fairly steep hill that led down to a wooded area. It was pretty steep that if I wasn't paying attention I could easily slip and slide down the hill.
The back apartments that faced this area was occupied by an older dude who was always out on his little porch area enjoying a beer. I've spoken to him a few times just saying hi and whatever trying to be neighborly.
Well, one morning after a huge snow storm hit the area, I bundled up to take my dog out for his morning business. We get to the back area and my dog starts running towards a mound jutting from the bottom of the hill near the woods. I slide down the hill to get my dog and notice the mound had the shape of a foot sticking out of the snow and could make out some colors (it was 5AM-ish, so dark), from clothing. Get closer and a better look and its my old dude neighbor, frozen solid. A broken drinking glass lay next to him so I assume he got a bit tipsy during the snowstorm, went outside on his patio, fell down the hill and just died or something.
Felt more bad than shocked as the dude was hella friendly and always gave my dog some scratches (I think my dog wanted some scratches from the poor guy but wasn't getting them). Called 911 and let them know what I found and just stayed out there with him getting pelted with snow. The police and firefighters were out in minutes. Didn't ask them much about it and since I was freezing my balls off, went back in and carried on with my day.
So Much Blood
Went to my friend's house. We smoked cigs, and we talked about how his roommate Jeff hadn't been around lately. I remember asking my buddy if he farted because the house had a smell. I went to pee in the bathroom and noticed it was much stronger. Jeff's door was next to the bathroom, so I knocked and opened it. Jeff was kneeling on the floor covered in blood. Like he had frozen.
He apparently OD'ed and blood poured out of his nose? I dunno if that's a thing that happens but there was three day old blood everywhere. It was screwed up. We talked to the cops and a detective, like 90 minutes after finding out friend dead from the drugs. Been clean 16 months now though.
The House Manager
I was the House Manager at my University's Student Union and that involved doing a sweep of the building at closing time. Normal night, finding everything empty and in good order until I get to the dining area's rest room. I see a guy's feet under the door in one of the stalls and knock and tell him it's time to go.
He doesn't respond so I give him a few more minutes and will check again on my way back. Sure enough - he's still there. This time I sensed it wasn't right and went and got a custodian. Turns out that the poor guy was having a heart attack and thought he had to go to the bathroom. He passed right there in that toilet stall.
That's my Story
Was about 15. Was with friends in an abandoned building in Redhook in the 80s looking to see if we could find any copper (or anything else) to sell.
Saw what we thought was a pile of old clothes and shoes. It wasn't.
What we had thought from a distance was old shoes sticking out of the pile was the guys skin, which had shriveled up and turned black.
We got the hell out and called 911 from a payphone, then left the area before any cops showed up. We were raised never to talk with cops. Boring, i guess. But thats my story.
The Water
When I was a child my family went holidays to Tunisia. On our last day we went for one final swim in the pool. I remember remarking to my older sister how great the young boy at the bottom of the pool was at holding his breath... she took no notice of me and we continued playing. The pool was packed full of people playing actually... Suddenly a mother comes screaming out of the hotel and straight into the pool. Pulled him out of the water like a sack of rocks. Half hour of CPR but no luck.
It was suspected that in the early morning a group of older youths thought it was funny to get him really drunk, then they pushed him into the pool and walked away laughing. Turns out the boy couldn't swim and drowned. Still have no idea how he went unnoticed at the bottom of the pool for hours.
Injuries
Does seeing a body and not realizing they are dead count?
About 15 years ago a young man (early 20's) was out to a bar, drank, got on his snowmobile to go home in winter in Wisconsin, (all the snowmobile trails lead from bar to bar anyway.) Missed a turn on the trail and hit some trees. got himself up. got his sled righted and back on the trail. then he got back on his sled.
He was sitting on the sled normally with his hands on the handlebars and his head down. We went past about 3 am and thought he was just consulting his map. A friend went by about 10 am and saw him again. then checked on him and found he was dead. then he called the authorities. he had died of internal injuries.
After a Blunt
Walking home from high school one day, main avenue by myself.... saw an old lady sitting motionless in a weird little position against the wall next to a store on the step in the alleyway. Eye remember it as if it was yesterday. It was winter and chilly, she had a pink long sleeve on and a black jacket halfway zipped up. Called out to her once, twice, and she didn't respond. A third time and nothing.
Thought she was sleeping maybe, didn't want to spook her. Touched her left arm lightly and then her face, she was cold like chilly cold. Got instant creeps and went inside to the store and told the store owner. Cops got called. Told the cops what i just told you guys.
Won't ever forget that, it didn't impact me too negatively but just reminded me at that age that life is temporary and can go at any time. Everyone dies eventually and nobody knows when or how but we do know it is inevitable. Thanks for reading if you did read, one love. ✊
My Miracle
Got overtaken by a speeding car on my bike. Heard a loud crash maybe 20 seconds later. The dude didn't make the next bend in the road, hit a tree and died on the spot.
Miraculously, in the minute or so it took me to get there, a neighbor already got there first and stopped me (12 years old at that time) from taking a good look, but I still saw.... enough.
Off to School
Walking to school one day at a new and busy intersection. Lights weren't in yet. Lady pulls out in front of a fast moving SUV while she's in a tiny two door car. I had my first aid exam that day so I went to check on everyone. Only one other person stopped he took the SUV and I took the car. Young boy had a seizure and passed.
I waited for fire and police told then what happened and went on my way to school. Wasn't till I got to school that I realized what happened and broke down.
On Set
Scouting for filming locations. This guy was sitting in a chair on his porch.
By his skin tone, I could see from some distance that he was dead. The neighbors had all ignored him for nearly 24 hours (apparently he sat out there often, but I don't know how anyone could have mistaken that sallow appearance).
In the Swamp
I used to own a road construction company and one time we were looking at a site, looking for utility markings and what not. I had a survey crew and the project manager out there.
There was a bridge over the river (this is in the middle of San Antonio, TX) and one of the guys on the survey team says "hey, boss, look...) there was a body hung up on a rock just under the water is was like the dead faces in the swamp in LoTR. We were pretty high up from the river so we couldn't see it in great detail but it was unmistakable. So, of course, we called the police.
Well, the cops and EMS, etc attracted a crowd of locals and all the emergency services people were down under the bridge looking at the body, discussing how to retrieve it. The crowd on the bridge stared throwing rocks at the body and someone hit it and it kinda, I dunno if it exploded but the water was all cloudy and obscured.... the cops went crazy yelling at people, running back up the hill.
So yeah, that happened.
If you or someone you know is struggling, you can contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
To find help outside the United States, the International Association for Suicide Prevention has resources available at https://www.iasp.info/resources/Crisis_Centres/
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