Diatom negative drowning — The grey area for forensic expert: A case report

Mankind has been dependent on water for its survival since its inception. However, despite such protracted association with water humans could not develop the ability to survive in water resulting in mishap termed as drowning. Drowning is defined as a form of asphyxia due to submersion in a liquid. Drowning can be further classified into typical or wet drowning and atypical or Dry drowning. Typical or wet drowning can be identified by postmortem changes in the lungs and respiratory tract. Moreover, diatom test can provide an additional supportive evidence for the same. However, the tables turn in cases of atypical or dry drowning where although the external examination may be suggestive of drowning, neither the internal dissection of body shows typical changes in lungs, nor the diatom test is supportive. One such case which was presented to the authors is being shared herewith.