Man Dies After Drowning, Panicked Friends Take Body Home And Lay Him In Bed Without Calling Help

A 38-year-old man from China died after drowning in a reservoir, but instead of notifying the authorities, two of his friends took his body home and placed it in his bed, making it appear as though he was

simply sleeping.

The tragic incident took place on September 4 in Sichuan province, where the deceased man, whose name has not been disclosed, had been invited to swim at a local reservoir by a villager and his uncle.

According to local Chinese media, the man entered the water and drowned before the two others tried to rescue him. However, by the time they brought him back to shore, he had already died, the South China Morning Post reported.

One of the individuals, identified as Tao, admitted to panicking and, rather than seeking medical assistance or calling the police, decided to transport the body home on a motorcycle. Surveillance footage from their route shows the two men riding with the deceased wedged between them, with the man at the back holding his neck in an attempt to prop him upright.

Upon returning to the village, the two men placed the body in the deceased’s bed and left, not informing the family of the tragedy. It was only three days later that the family discovered he had not been asleep, but had in fact died.

During those three days, the two men had interacted with various family members but chose not to mention the drowning.

The family became aware of the situation when they found that surveillance footage from the reservoir had already been overwritten. Authorities have ruled out foul play and concluded that the two men will not face criminal charges. However, Chinese law does not impose a duty to rescue, meaning the men are not legally responsible for failing to seek help.

A lawyer for the family, Jin Yan, stated that while the men may not face criminal charges, they could still be liable for compensatory payment. Tao confirmed that he had offered 80,000 yuan (around US$11,000) to cover funeral costs through village mediation.