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Strange Deaths

Stoke woman's death may have involved hazardous materials

Emergency services were called to a house in Northwood, Stoke-on-Trent, at 5.45pm on Friday, Staffordshire police said.

The woman’s body was found inside and her death was being treated as unexplained but police said it possibly involved hazardous materials.

The area was cordoned off and some neighbours were evacuated as a precautionary measure while crews from Staffordshire fire and rescue service assessed the scene.

This is strange because there is no explanation to be found about what's happened or the nature of the materials.
 
They might have found her next to some cleaning agents and think she accidentally mixed the wrong ones.

Yup, I was reminded of this death by reading about people mixing chemicals in the 'Mistakes' thread.
 
A skier has died in a chairlift accident at Vail (Colorado), having been asphyxiated when he fell through a hole in the lift unit where a seat had not been properly returned to its intended position. It's not clear what position the trapped skier was in, so it's not clear the allusions to a "hanging" are appropriate.

A similar but non-fatal incident (reported here on the forum) occurred on the same chairlift in 2009 and for the same reason. In that case, a skier was left hanging upside down with his pants stripped down (up?).
Vail skier death was from accidental hanging according to initial investigation

Eagle County coroner rules death an accident

Jason Varnish, 46, of Short Hills, New Jersey, died Thursday of positional asphyxia while riding Chair 37 in Vail’s Blue Sky Basin, according to the Eagle County coroner.

Coroner Kara Bettis said the death has been ruled an accident.

Bettis, in a text, wrote: “We are still investigating how this whole situation happened. According to our initial investigation, the deceased slipped through the seat of the chair lift and his ski coat got caught up in the chair. The coat ended up going up around his head and neck area putting his neck in a position that compromised his airway.”

Bettis said that the chairlift’s folding seat was in the upright position, according to witnesses, instead of being folded down so riders could sit on it, leaving an open area which one could fall through if they did not notice the seat was not in place.

Skiers in the area witnessed CPR being performed on Varnish at the base of Chair 37. Blue Sky Basin was closed for about 24 hours following the incident, re-opening Friday around 11:30 a.m. ...


Questions on the incident Friday were being referred to Bettis, who, after releasing the details of her initial investigation, referred questions to the Eagle County Sheriff’s Department.

The Sheriff’s Department then referred questions to Vail Resorts, which issued the following statement:

“Vail Mountain confirms a serious incident that took place yesterday involving a 46-year-old man from New Jersey. The incident occurred when the guest attempted to load the Skyline Express lift (Chair 37). Vail Mountain Ski Patrol responded to the incident and performed CPR and emergency care on scene before the guest was transported to Vail Health, where he was pronounced deceased.

“We take all incidents seriously and are conducting a full investigation.

“The lift has been thoroughly inspected and is operating normally. ...


Similar circumstances to 2009 incident

Skiers mourning Varnish on Thursday were quick to remember a similar incident from 2009 on the same chairlift when a man found himself suspended upside down, pantless, in Blue Sky Basin.

The story went viral when the truTV website thesmokinggun.com picked it up, using the memorable headline “Skier suffers exposure.”

The man in the 2009 incident had also slipped through seat of the chairlift, which was not folded down properly, reported witness Marty Odom. ...
FULL STORY: https://www.vaildaily.com/news/new-...ional-asphyxia-on-chairlift-at-vail-mountain/
See Also:
https://apnews.com/038d5696be4102d1cf031cd9a4ea58c5

POST REPORTING THE 2009 INCIDENT:
https://forums.forteana.org/index.php?threads/oops-the-silly-mistakes-thread.25999/post-844295
 
A skier has died in a chairlift accident at Vail (Colorado), having been asphyxiated when he fell through a hole in the lift unit where a seat had not been properly returned to its intended position. It's not clear what position the trapped skier was in, so it's not clear the allusions to a "hanging" are appropriate.

A similar but non-fatal incident (reported here on the forum) occurred on the same chairlift in 2009 and for the same reason. In that case, a skier was left hanging upside down with his pants stripped down (up?).

FULL STORY: https://www.vaildaily.com/news/new-...ional-asphyxia-on-chairlift-at-vail-mountain/
See Also:
https://apnews.com/038d5696be4102d1cf031cd9a4ea58c5

POST REPORTING THE 2009 INCIDENT:
https://forums.forteana.org/index.php?threads/oops-the-silly-mistakes-thread.25999/post-844295
Not a nice finish.
 
A skier has died in a chairlift accident at Vail (Colorado), having been asphyxiated when he fell through a hole in the lift unit where a seat had not been properly returned to its intended position. It's not clear what position the trapped skier was in, so it's not clear the allusions to a "hanging" are appropriate.

A similar but non-fatal incident (reported here on the forum) occurred on the same chairlift in 2009 and for the same reason. In that case, a skier was left hanging upside down with his pants stripped down (up?).

FULL STORY: https://www.vaildaily.com/news/new-...ional-asphyxia-on-chairlift-at-vail-mountain/
See Also:
https://apnews.com/038d5696be4102d1cf031cd9a4ea58c5

POST REPORTING THE 2009 INCIDENT:
https://forums.forteana.org/index.php?threads/oops-the-silly-mistakes-thread.25999/post-844295

Having never been skiing or used a chairlift I am starting this post from somewhat of a disadvantage, but... how is it not possible to notice that the seat you've chosen to sit on, isn't there? (How does one alight onto a chairlift, by the way?)

And if it is possible to not notice this, how come this sort of accident doesn't happen much more often? Or is there something fundamentally flawed about this particular chairlift?
 
... How does one alight onto a chairlift, by the way? ...

The chairlift is typically in continuous motion, analogous to an escalator.

Skiers queue to enter a loading zone / area. Barring any special loading situation (e.g., small kids) experienced skiers will usually enter the loading zone, turn their backs to the oncoming lift chair, and basically plop down onto / into it as it moves through the loading zone.

Without knowing the specific configuration of the fatal lift's chair units I don't have a clear understanding of what wasn't properly configured when this skier sat in / on it.
 
The chairlift is typically in continuous motion, analogous to an escalator.

Skiers queue to enter a loading zone / area. Barring any special loading situation (e.g., small kids) experienced skiers will usually enter the loading zone, turn their backs to the oncoming lift chair, and basically plop down onto / into it as it moves through the loading zone.

Without knowing the specific configuration of the fatal lift's chair units I don't have a clear understanding of what wasn't properly configured when this skier sat in / on it.

Ah I see, thanks for explaining that. So it sounds possible to not notice the seat is up if the skier has their back to the seat.

(I'm picturing, perhaps wrongly, seats akin to ones in a cinema, i.e. the seat part flips up when no one is sitting on it),
 
A skier has died in a chairlift accident at Vail (Colorado), having been asphyxiated when he fell through a hole in the lift unit where a seat had not been properly returned to its intended position. It's not clear what position the trapped skier was in, so it's not clear the allusions to a "hanging" are appropriate.

Remember the woman who fell through a dining chair, after removing the seat for repair? She was trapped for at least a day and died of a heart attack. Must have been terrible.
 
Ah I see, thanks for explaining that. So it sounds possible to not notice the seat is up if the skier has their back to the seat.
(I'm picturing, perhaps wrongly, seats akin to ones in a cinema, i.e. the seat part flips up when no one is sitting on it),

I don't think the cinema seat analogy is accurate, because a moving chairlift needs its default configuration to be "seat down" (available for sitting). In cinema seating the default configuration needs to be "seat up" to facilitate moving across the row.

Again - without knowing the specifics on the chairlift involved I have no idea what "seat up" / "seat down" (or equivalent) might be applicable in this situation.
 
I don't think the cinema seat analogy is accurate, because a moving chairlift needs its default configuration to be "seat down" (available for sitting). In cinema seating the default configuration needs to be "seat up" to facilitate moving across the row.

Again - without knowing the specifics on the chairlift involved I have no idea what "seat up" / "seat down" (or equivalent) might be applicable in this situation.

Yeah good point. I did say I was probably picturing it wrongly :)
 
Could it have been a really bad wedgie?

The skier was asphyxiated because his jacket ended up wrapped somehow around his head and neck area. I'm still unclear as to what overall position he'd fallen into through the seat. The phrasing of the reports seems to indicate he was bent or folded up somehow (rather than falling through and hanging upside down as was the case in the 2009 incident).
 
It does but much seem to revolve around money and fraud.
 
This is a terrible tragedy and an awful shock for the girl's family.
She was 15 and died after spontaneously choking.

Crowdfunding appeal for family of 'fit and healthy' teenager who died after eating chicken and nachos

Coroner for North Wales east and central, John Gittins recorded a conclusion of accidental death after a post-mortem examination revealed Abby had died of cause of "foreign body aspiration with massive pulmonary haemorrhage".

It qualifies as a strange death because, as her parents state, it was a 'freak accident'. Bizarre.
 
This strange case did the rounds on Quora earlier.
Strictly speaking, it's not a confirmed death yet, but I wasn't sure where else to post it.
The mysterious behaviour of Lars Mittank just prior to his disappearance rings faint echoes of the Elisa Lam incident:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Lars_Mittank
 
This strange case did the rounds on Quora earlier.
Strictly speaking, it's not a confirmed death yet, but I wasn't sure where else to post it.
The mysterious behaviour of Lars Mittank just prior to his disappearance rings faint echoes of the Elisa Lam incident:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Lars_Mittank
Very sad. His friends must feel awful. It doesn't explain the disappearance but I wonder if he suffered a brain injury in the assault that was overlooked at the time and would explain his odd behaviour?
 
Very sad. His friends must feel awful. It doesn't explain the disappearance but I wonder if he suffered a brain injury in the assault that was overlooked at the time and would explain his odd behaviour?

This case has always massively creeped me out, reminds me of the story The Reaper's Image... the victims are last seen running away, then are never seen again.
 
As is often the case, this could go elsewhere (so feel free to move) but this is a strange death - and I'd suggest not going political on this!

Man dies after using a 'cure' for Covid-19 promoted by Donald Trump. Swallowing a chemical used as an aquarium cleaner? What could possibly go wrong there?

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/...t-covid-19-cure-malaria-cleaner-a9420176.html
They took several days of doses in one go and the stuff they used wasn't for medical application.
 
Here's weird one.

A woman of 71 was found dead at home. The police are appealing for dashcam footage that might show a particular car.
Also, there was a post-mortem but further tests are needed.

Well, it sounded strange to me!

Murder update - family tribute and appeal for dashcam footage

The family of a woman found dead at her home in Tunstall Road, Knypersley, on Sunday, have paid tribute to her, as detectives appeal for dash cam footage of a car.
...
Detectives are appealing for dash cam footage from vehicles between Biddulph to Sneyd Green, via Bemersley Road and Norton, from midday until 3pm on Thursday 19 March. They are particularly interested in any footage of a green Honda Civic, with registration plate OK62 AMS.
 
Here's weird one.

A woman of 71 was found dead at home. The police are appealing for dashcam footage that might show a particular car.
Also, there was a post-mortem but further tests are needed.

Well, it sounded strange to me!

Murder update - family tribute and appeal for dashcam footage

That does sound a bit strange doesn't it!

Well, they know the registration plate of the car, so they must know who it belongs to... and they also have a photograph (in article) but all that really shows is a hand holding the steering wheel.

I guess they are hoping for dashcam footage to show clearly who the driver was.

As for the post mortem... does that mean they don't know what killed her? If further tests are required? Hmmm.
 
Man in coronavirus quarantine runs into street naked before biting woman to death

A man who was forced to quarantine in his home over fears of coronavirus tore his clothes off and raced into the street naked before biting a sleeping elderly woman to death, it is claimed.

The man, named only as Manikandan, had flown home to India from Sri Lanka when he was ordered by authorities and his family not to leave his house for 14 days.

According to reports in India, after a week of the self-isolation, the 35-year-old man began ripping his clothes off before he hurtled into the street in Tamil Nadu.

It is claimed he then began running through the adjacent streets where he spotted an elderly woman sleeping outside her own home.
Yahoo! News India says the man then raced up to her before clamping down on her neck and biting hard.

The woman woke up and screamed, sending her nude attacker fleeing - but not before a mob had been gathered in a bid to track him down.

Frantic relatives raced the woman to hospital last Friday, but tragically she deteriorated while receiving medical care and died.

The attacker was eventually caught by the enraged mob who handed him over to police.

https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/world-news/man-coronavirus-quarantine-runs-street-21773158

maximus otter
 
Man in coronavirus quarantine runs into street naked before biting woman to death

A man who was forced to quarantine in his home over fears of coronavirus tore his clothes off and raced into the street naked before biting a sleeping elderly woman to death, it is claimed.

The man, named only as Manikandan, had flown home to India from Sri Lanka when he was ordered by authorities and his family not to leave his house for 14 days.

According to reports in India, after a week of the self-isolation, the 35-year-old man began ripping his clothes off before he hurtled into the street in Tamil Nadu.

It is claimed he then began running through the adjacent streets where he spotted an elderly woman sleeping outside her own home.
Yahoo! News India says the man then raced up to her before clamping down on her neck and biting hard.

The woman woke up and screamed, sending her nude attacker fleeing - but not before a mob had been gathered in a bid to track him down.

Frantic relatives raced the woman to hospital last Friday, but tragically she deteriorated while receiving medical care and died.

The attacker was eventually caught by the enraged mob who handed him over to police.

https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/world-news/man-coronavirus-quarantine-runs-street-21773158

maximus otter
Sounds like the zombie apocalypse has begun. Yikes.
 
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