Passing Strange.

Mystery Over Golf Ball Found in Dead Man’s Throat

By Cormac O’Keeffe
Tuesday, February 16, 2010

GARDAÍ ruled out claims that pathologists had failed to spot a golf ball lodged down a dead man’s throat.
Garda sources said the ball must have been put in the man’s throat following the postmortem at St James’s Hospital in Dublin’s south inner city.

The focus of the investigation is the period after the postmortem and before embalming at a nearby undertakers, where the unsettling discovery was made.

Gardaí told the Irish Examiner that ambulance staff had attempted to resuscitate the man when they initially went to his aid and there was no golf ball there at that time.

"It definitely wasn’t there at postmortem, it couldn’t have been," said a Garda source.

Gardaí said there was a couple of days between the postmortem and embalming at the funeral home.
Gardaí have spoken to all hospital staff who would have had access to the body.

"Nothing has come to light. We have almost exhausted enquiries at this time," said the Garda source.

He said they are going through CCTV footage and the investigation is ongoing. The hospital is carrying out its own investigation.

"It is a most unsavoury case and very insensitive to the family," said the garda, but he pointed out there was no crime involved.

From the Irish Examiner.