Q&A for How to Handle Finding a Dead Body

It takes time for that feeling of despair to pass. Every day, the pain will lessen and not be so blunt. Remember the good times, and do something in your friend's memory. You could make a photo collage, plant a tree or set off lanterns - anything that will help you feel more connected to them.

Whether you should perform CPR depends on the situation. If you find someone unresponsive, like a friend in a pool, and you know CPR, check your safety, call for help, start CPR, and contact emergency services. However, if you find a body in other circumstances where the person appears deceased, checking for a pulse is sensible, but CPR may not be effective.

Dreams often reflect your mind processing life events. Seeing a deceased person in a dream might symbolize a significant change, like graduating, moving, or changing relationships, rather than an actual loss. Your dream may simply represent a transition from one phase of life to another.

Call the police immediately and check the pulses, they could still be alive. Try not to freak out or start hyperventilating, or you might pass out. Stay alert.

If you're an adult, try to find a therapist for your brother that he can afford or that accepts his insurance. Then, if he's unable, set up the appointment for him on his behalf. If you're younger and unable to do these things for your brother, you can talk to your parents about what you think he needs. In the meantime, just be a source of support for him if he needs someone to talk to.

You should visit a doctor immediately and explain your contact with the dead body, as it may carry bacteria. Additionally, report the discovery to the police.

If you are unrelated to the dead person you found, you have no responsibility in the matter. Once you call the police and give them a statement, your involvement is finished, subject to police approval.

Tell them that you found a dead person and you want them to take it away so they can analyze it and notify their loved ones.

You're not responsible for disposing of a dead body. Doing so would only make you look suspicious. Instead, notify authorities and let them deal with the situation.

Police will want to examine the body and its surroundings before it is moved to determine if the death is suspicious in any way.

You don’t. That's murder, a crime that will land you in prison or a mental hospital for the rest of your life. In some places you could be given the death penalty. Seek counseling if you seriously feel like killing someone.

You should immediately contact the police, a suicide hotline, or a trusted adult for guidance and support.

If you see someone about to jump off a high bridge, try to maintain a safe distance and calmly talk to them, expressing concern for their life. Immediately call 911 or local emergency services to report the situation. Stay on the line and follow their instructions while waiting for help to arrive.

Tell the authorities at school, such as a principal or teacher, and they will call the police and have them come to the school and examine the body. When the police arrive, they will interrogate anyone at the scene, including the students, especially if the dead person is known to people at the school.

Finding a body with cement blocks on the feet usually suggests foul play, possibly involving organized crime, where the cement is added post-mortem to conceal the crime. The cause of death could be a gunshot or strangulation. It's unlikely to be a suicide, as preparing cement and attaching it to oneself would be highly impractical.

The presence of a body in a river or lake may indicate murder, suicide, or an accidental drowning. If water is found in the lungs, it suggests drowning.

Your response depends on the type and location of the animal. If it is a large animal like a beached whale, a domesticated pet, or if the animal is on public property, you should contact animal control or the appropriate authorities. However, if it is a small wild animal found in a natural area, such as a dead squirrel in the woods, no action is typically required.

If the body is on fire, call the police immediately and maintain a safe distance. If there are no electrical hazards, you may attempt to extinguish the fire with water. If the body is already burned and the fire is out, contact the police to examine it, as determining the cause of death may be challenging due to the damage.

No, it's for any person you find dead. It doesn't have to be a stranger. It can be a family member or neighbor, as well.

Yes, you should be cautious and report the situation to the police, who can investigate further. It's important not to jump to conclusions or share your observations with others, as these individuals could have legitimate reasons for being there.

To determine if someone was murdered or died by suicide, a coroner conducts an autopsy. Multiple gunshot or knife wounds may suggest murder, while a single wound could indicate either. A person's occupation and associations, such as ties to gangs or criminal organizations, may also provide insight.

Contact the police immediately. They will investigate and look for evidence such as fingerprints, bruises, or wounds to determine if it was a suicide or homicide. Avoid touching any possible weapons to prevent injury and preserve evidence.

If the child is very young, you can calmly say the person is asleep and guide them away from the area. For older children, you can explain that the person has died and encourage them to ask questions. It's important to reassure the child that they are safe and to leave the scene if they appear disturbed.

Call the police right away. Do not touch the body because it may have bacteria and your fingerprints might go on it, causing people to think you murdered them. When the police arrive, be truthful and responsible.

Unless you have a close relationship to the person, you could just leave the body alone and wait for someone else to report it. The person's already dead, so you can't really save them, anyway.

It depends on how old the child is. If the child is a pre-teen, their legal guardians will be held responsible. A teenager is old enough to face the consequences.

The coroner will do an autopsy and examine the body; they will examine for stuff such as: any drugs if they took any, along with if there are any wounds like from a gun or a knife, and fingerprints and DNA as well. It can take several days, weeks, months, and in extreme cases, even years to figure it out.

You don't. If you find a dead body, immediately notify authorities.

You cannot, unless you are part of the agency yourself. If they gave away their identity, they wouldn't be secret anymore. If a secret agent was murdered in a public location, likely no outsiders will find out what the victim's real occupation was.

You explain that when someone dies it means their body stops working, and the dead person will be unable to think, see, hear, or feel anything. Explain that it can happen anywhere such as at the park. Don't tell them any gory details or anything else they won't understand.