Barman's horrifying death 'boiled alive like a lobster' after falling down drain
Dr Judy Melinek, who has worked as a medical examiner in New York City, has seen a lot of death in her time - but one case in particular will always haunt her
Dealing with death on a daily basis is not for the faint-hearted, but for one profession, they are well-versed in all aspects of life's end.
Medical examiners face every facet of death and often provide explanations for what transpired in the final moments of an individual's life.
Dr Judy Melinek, a medical examiner based in New York City, has shed light on her experiences in the role, including the most horrific death she has ever witnessed.
In her 2014 book, Working Stiff: Two Years, 262 Bodies, and the Making of a Medical Examiner, she reveals some of the terrifying ways that life in the bustling city can lead to death. The book delves into detail about her encounters on the job and offers a profound exploration of the subject of death.
In an interview with the New York Post about her previous role, Dr Melinek disclosed that during her studies in the city, her chief resident informed her that NYC had 'all kinds of great ways to die'. This advice turned out to be incredibly accurate and has since shaped her life, reports the Mirror US.
She now believes she has seen virtually everything when it comes to death and the various ways a person can meet their demise.
"The worst nightmares I ever had in my two years at OCME (Office of Chief Medical Examiner) came after I performed the postmortem examination of Sean Doyle," she said.
Dr Melinek recounts that Doyle, a bartender in New York, had been out for drinks with his mate Michael Wright and Wright's girlfriend on a fateful night in 2002. It's thought that Wright suspected Doyle of making advances towards his girlfriend, leading to a heated argument between the two.
The precise sequence of events that followed remains uncertain, but Doyle ended up at the bottom of an open manhole. He plummeted approximately 18 feet into the gaping hole, landing in a pool of scalding water gushing from a ruptured main.
Astonishingly, he survived the fall without any fractures - however, this turned out to be far from fortunate due to the blistering water below.
His demise was far more horrific as emergency services were unable to rescue him from the tunnel promptly due to the extreme heat. After crying out for help, Doyle tragically succumbed to the intense heat, perishing as temperatures soared to a searing 148°C.
Dr Melinek described the deceased man as appearing as if he'd 'been steamed like a lobster'. His skin's outer layer had entirely sloughed off, and his internal organs were cooked.
The medical examiner stated that this case was the one that stood out for her and unsurprisingly gave her the 'worst nightmares' of her career to date.
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