Burial at sea goes awry when body found floating off S. Fla.

Joe Friday · Sep 15, 2010

How do you go about chartering a boat when you tell the captain your planning on burying a body at sea? Wouldn't the captain be a little suspicious that foul play might be involved and call the authorities?

http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20100915/BREAKINGNEWS/100915001/1086/rss07

Burial at sea goes awry when body found floating off S. Fla.

So when the 48-year-old died this month of Lou Gehrig's disease, his family followed his request. They put his body on dry ice, brought it to South Florida, chartered a boat, said their goodbyes and released him to the sea, according to the Broward Sheriff's Office.

Except a day later, Lasky's body floated to the surface.

(Snipped)

The day after his death, his family began the drive south, stopping overnight in Daytona Beach before arriving in Fort Lauderdale on Friday.

That day, Sharon Lasky, his pastor and a few other family members boarded the Mary B III, along with the boat's captain, crew and Daniel Lasky's body, according to the Broward Sheriff's Office.

After their goodbyes, they went fishing in his honor and returned to shore.

The next morning, a fisherman found the body floating and alerted the U.S. Coast Guard.

(Snipped)

passionflower · Sep 15, 2010

How gruesome..........

Blondie in Spokane · Sep 15, 2010

Oh what an awful story.....

Belinda · Sep 15, 2010

Incredibly poor planning. I'm fine with a burial at sea if that was his wish, but clearly it was done incorrectly. How macabre.

DeepThinker · Sep 15, 2010

poor guy...how difficult for the family

Soulmagent · Sep 15, 2010

I am completely amazed you an drive a body on Dry Ice across state lines. I had no clue.

I feel awful for his Wife. Now they have to have another service??
Also makes me wonder about Jane and John Does. Really makes one think about the inprobable stuff that could happen when a weird events stops and makes one question what they thought they knew. Wonder how the investigators felt when this case landed on whoevers desk.

oh_gal · Sep 15, 2010

His poor friends and family probably had no clue about how to go about this (and who would, really???). I don't know...there's probably a website dealing with such things. There is for everything else.

SunnieRN · Sep 15, 2010

This family did a lot to abide by this mans wishes! I wonder how many permits, regulations and hardships they went through? What an awful way for it to end!

Truthful Lies · Sep 15, 2010

Not to add to this poor family's distress, but I'd like to know who the captain of this charted vessel was/is. After reading the article, it seems the EPA regulation of basically sinking to 600 ft rapidly was not followed. I also have to wonder how much the captain knew about the currents in the area...this poor family.

I just smell ineptitude/ignorance on the part of the charter company and/or crew...wonder if it could legally be argued that the boat acted as a hearse and certain other laws should apply - because the entire time they were within 3 miles of the shore, they were not in international waters. And therefor were under FL's jurisdiction. I want to know the coordinates of the burial and the captain!

I'm thinking this charter company will be held at least financially responsible...no captain I know would risk his license/job on a job like this...they'd follow regulations to the law. Maybe they wouldn't interfere, but would certainty give a final check to make sure all laws were being followed. Sad all the way around.

If laws were not followed, yank this company's license! If so, I humbly apologize

MOO

Filly · Sep 15, 2010

This is legal. I had no idea either. None.

600 feet. In the scheme of the ocean is that really that deep? I understand this was not done correctly. I'm just asking.

How very sad for his family. Horrible.

How about a Viking funeral? I wonder if there's permits to get for that? Treat the vessel and then torch it. Maybe not.:waitasec:

May Mr. Lasky rest in peace. May his family be able to go on and somehow be healed after this horrifying experience.

Magnum P.E. · Oct 22, 2012

I know this is an old thread, but....OOOPS!

Nova · Oct 22, 2012

Truthful Lies said:
...I just smell ineptitude/ignorance on the part of the charter company and/or crew....

Sorry, but that's not actually what you are smelling. It's hot and humid off the coast of South Florida.

Magnum P.E. · Oct 22, 2012

Filly said:
This is legal. I had no idea either. None.

600 feet. In the scheme of the ocean is that really that deep? I understand this was not done correctly. I'm just asking.

How very sad for his family. Horrible.

How about a Viking funeral? I wonder if there's permits to get for that? Treat the vessel and then torch it. Maybe not.:waitasec:

May Mr. Lasky rest in peace. May his family be able to go on and somehow be healed after this horrifying experience.

"Not done correctly" is the understatement of the year. On the east coast of Florida, in many places you can walk into the water for what seems like forever and still only be chest deep. A lot of it is really shallow and apparently not suitable for burial at sea. I bet the captain of the boat a)wanted the body off his ship and b) didn't want to spend any more money on fuel than he had to. There are places near the Bahamas which are quite deep, like the Tongue of The Ocean near Andros Island. It is over 6000 ft deep and a body is not coming back.

Maybe they should have hired Joran Van Der Sloot as a consultant.

ohiogirl · Oct 23, 2012

Or Dexter!

Truthful Lies · Oct 26, 2012

Nova said:
Sorry, but that's not actually what you are smelling. It's hot and humid off the coast of South Florida.

Hi Nova

Haven't crossed paths with you in a while! I'm from there, but lol.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

legalmania · Oct 26, 2012

There are very strict rules when it comes to burial at sea first of all the body is suppose to be in a coffin or non corrosive metal that weighs 4 times the body weight, holes are suppose to be applied to the coffin so it weighs the coffin down and some other very strict state and federal laws. I don't know if the medical examiner was aware that this family planned on a burial at sea, because I'm sure they would have been told of the strict rules so this doesn't happen. Most people cremate, because it's very expensive with a coffin. It's kind of odd to just dump your loved one overboard and go fishing imo.

http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/20...dy-in-dry-ice-body-surfaces-full-body-burials

Nova · Oct 26, 2012

Truthful Lies said:
Hi Nova Haven't crossed paths with you in a while! I'm from there, but lol.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I spent my first 23 years in Fort Lauderdale, so I try not to miss a chance for a Florida joke.

Sonya610 · Nov 11, 2012

Soulmagent said:
I am completely amazed you an drive a body on Dry Ice across state lines. I had no clue.

Probably like many other things -- as you don't get pulled over it isn't a problem. Sounds like none of these folks had done this before so who knows how legal it all was. I would think IF this is legal there would be strict rules regarding how far out at sea.

Burial at sea goes awry when body found floating off S. Fla.

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