Clothing on a drowning victim will alter the buoyancy and the progression of decomposition. It may also be misleading as in this case where an item of clothing has the appearance of a blindfold. If a body of water is the primary death scene and the body has been immersed for only a short period of time, the position of the body will be affected by clothing and any personal effects on the body. If the individual has drowned, typically the body will initially submerge and assume what has been called the “drowning position.” This is where the anterior aspect of the individual faces the bottom of the body of the water and the extremities and head hang downward toward the bottom while the individual’s back is toward the surface.
Fig.1 Clothing on a drowning victim will alter the buoyancy and the progression of decomposition.
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