If the corpse of Dr. Allwell Orji – the 35 year old victim of suicide on Lagos lagoon on Sunday, March 19, 2017 – is not retrieved by the search team of Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, it will eventually float face down.
Corpses of those who drown usually float face down because of these reasons:
1. Once a body is submerged, it stays underwater for days as bacteria in the gut produce gas (methane, hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide) which eventually makes it float.
2. Once the body is not entangled by underwater debris, the bloated torso floats first as it contains the most bacteria, as the head and limbs remain invisible.
3. But if the limbs are smaller, the corpse can float face up (as it sometimes is with women).
4. If the corpse is not retrieved, it can sink again and later refloat.