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msar-riders - Re: [MSAR] Bodies

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Subject: Mounted search and rescue

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  • From: "IRVIN LICHTENSTEIN" <ilichten1@verizon.net>
  • To: "'Mounted search and rescue'" <msar-riders@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [MSAR] Bodies
  • Date: Mon, 08 Jun 2009 23:46:44 -0400

To broaden this discussion a little further-
In your jurisdiction how is a suspicious death handled? In most, a death
that is not observed by a medical doctor is considered homicide until proven
otherwise. In many jurisdictions suicide is a crime.

If you are treating the patient at the time of death are you qualified to
declare the person dead and sign the death certificate? There are teams with

doctors or coroners in the field but can you do it? And will you then
testify as to why you declared the death homicide, suicide, accidental,
natural causes, or unknown?

There was actually a formal debate about 20 years around here as to whether
ambulances should transport dead bodies from the scene to the morgue. The
ambulance people said no, the coroner said yes and the mortuary got the job
if the police wouldn't and there was no coroner's van in the jurisdiction.
(Our elected coroner at the time was a dentist, the only dentist in the
state allowed to declare people dead)

Assuming you take the job and find the body are you prepared to do the
forensics needed, after all everybody watches CSI and expects wonders.
And you can't just leave and go to the rain forest when things get too
tough, you have to go home and then work.

Before you get involved with dead bodies make sure your organization has
access to CISM, grief, and very good psychological counseling. How many of
you have a chaplain available? I stopped counting at 50, and only 3 were
SAR recoveries (drownings) the rest were bystander events-- just passing by
an auto accident, dancing at a wedding, etc. It is sometimes easier if you
are with your team, and often harder if you know the victim.

Irv Lichtenstein

-----Original Message-----
From: msar-riders-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:msar-riders-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Una Smith
Sent: Monday, June 08, 2009 10:55 PM
To: Mounted search and rescue
Subject: Re: [MSAR] Successful Search today





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