Mexico - Arlington TX Firefighter Elijah Snow, wed anniversary found dead at Cancun resort, Jul 2021

[moonriverfarm]

PICTURED: Window of Cancun hotel bathroom where US firefighter died


Cancun resort manager says body of Texas firefighter was discovered wedged in window by a gardener | Daily Mail Online

Not buying this being the window. It's only about 2 feet off the ground - he wound not have been "dangling" trying to climb IN this window. I call BS.

 

[EmmieA]

Not buying this being the window. It's only about 2 feet off the ground - he wound not have been "dangling" trying to climb IN this window. I call BS.

Yes but what if he was truly stuck, wedged in the window. It wouldn’t matter how far it was off the ground. I think there was a nurse earlier in the thread who explained how you could get stuck (& possibly die) in a window at any level.

 

[Gardenista]

Maybe it is positional asphyxia. I think that’s what they called what happened to the guy who fell into the rolled up gym mat.

 

[EmmieA]

Maybe it is positional asphyxia. I think that’s what they called what happened to the guy who fell into the rolled up gym mat.

The official cause of death was “mechanical asphyxia” - i wonder if that’s the same as positional asphyxia? Seems like such a terrifying way to die.

 

[Gardenista]

The official cause of death was “mechanical asphyxia” - i wonder if that’s the same as positional asphyxia? Seems like such a terrifying way to die.

Hmmm I don’t think so. They said the guy in the gym mat asphyxiated because he was upside down. So I was kind of thinking maybe if this guy was hanging out of the window kind of upside down it might’ve been positional. But if they are saying it is mechanical I have no idea

 

[AzPistonsGirl]

if the floor inside is much lower than outside, I can see this happening. How did he get inside if it was locked though? He went in by crawling in headfirst, dropped down into the bathroom, did his business, then was trying to get back out and got stuck? Terribly unfortunate and again, I think we will never know.

 

[annemc2]

I've spent a loooot of time in Mexican all-inclusive resorts over the past 20 years (including going to the same one for over 10 years, once or twice annually). The staff are generally extremely friendly and honest, hard-working people. We got to know many of the long-term employees during our stay(s) and never experienced any ill-toward behavior.

My husband, every once in a great while, will simply lose control and drink himself silly. It's awful, I know, and definitely an issue that he is working on. He's normally a straight-laced professional but occasionally drinks to excess. When he does so, he pretty much just passes out. I think it's happened three times while we've been on Mexican vacations. I've never seen particularly weak drinks being poured nor "moonshine" being served. Stronger drinks get better tips, and the bartenders aren't going to intentionally skimp or water down alcohol. It's a major draw and a huge part of a resort's reputation. It's easier to get a mixed drink than a glass of water at most places.

Staff were very helpful and compassionate when my husband once passed out somewhere (I, like Mrs. Snow, had already retired to the room with the kids) and security brought him back to the room passed out and in a wheelchair. It was humiliating, but he was safe. If he had a tendency to wander while drunk, I can only imagine the scary situations he could have gotten into. The exterior of the resorts is lovely, but the employee areas (like the bathroom pictured) can be pretty rough. In my mind, the window was likely left looking unfinished because it was "good enough" to provide the minimum privacy and ventilation for the employees.

Thugs, robbers, and the cartel are typically not going go after a tourist at an all-inclusive resort. Most people might be carrying at most a few bucks for tips and will leave jewelry in the safe. Anyone who obviously doesn't belong on the property is immediately escorted out. Of course the tourism industry is going to minimize violent crime and play down any accidental deaths (including ocean drownings) but imo this guy was at an extremely low risk for anything to happen to him outside of being extremely intoxicated.

Along with being a frequent visitor at several very safe and comfortable Mexican all-inclusive resorts, I also grew up in Arlington. This situation could have easily happened to me if my husband had wandered off and either drowned or had a similar freak accident occur. My heart goes out to the Snow family and to everyone who knew and loved Elijah. I'm definitely going to share this tragic story with my husband so he can appreciate how lucky he has been and hopefully change his behavior in the future.

 

[annpats]

Maybe it is positional asphyxia. I think that’s what they called what happened to the guy who fell into the rolled up gym mat.

But later forensics determined he was put in there....

 

[SeekingJana]

Yes but what if he was truly stuck, wedged in the window. It wouldn’t matter how far it was off the ground. I think there was a nurse earlier in the thread who explained how you could get stuck (& possibly die) in a window at any level.

The nurse, well, it's me. He was a firefighter, he was in and out of windows probably almost daily. ( Arlington is not exactly crime- free, and there are both arson and accidental fires in the city limits).

I think he over-estimated his abilities to slink into or out of a window that small, or was too drunk to gauge how small 24 inches is for a full grown man.
My WAIST was 24 inches until menopause. I could slink in and out almost anywhere, but was never a burglar, of course.

Does a drunk man really not just go take a whizz in an alley, behind a tree, or whatever late at night? In New Orleans, my former husband once grabbed me up out of the curb area, which had free- flowing urine in it. I didn't know this happened, and almost stepped in it.

 

[ringbearer]

Not buying this being the window. It's only about 2 feet off the ground - he wound not have been "dangling" trying to climb IN this window. I call BS.

Based on one of the captions in the pics in the article showing the window, it seems that he was stuck with his arms and partial torso OUT of the window, like he was climbing out of the bathroom. The floor he couldn't reach would have been the floor IN the bathroom, which would likely be much lower than the window.

The caption:

A gardener who was arriving for work discovered Snow's head, arms, and upper torso sticking out the window and alerted security just after 7am, DailyMail.com has learned

 

[insearchoflight]

Seems he climbed in the bathroom alright but upon trying to get back out he got stuck and his feet were dangling inside the bathroom while his head, arms, and torso were on outside of window. He couldn’t get a good grip with his feet, probably struggled until he couldn’t hold himself any longer. Very sad and sounds like a freak accident.

all MOO based on details in this article: Cancun resort manager says body of Texas firefighter was discovered wedged in window by a gardener | Daily Mail Online

 

[EmmieA]

Seems he climbed in the bathroom alright but upon trying to get back out he got stuck and his feet were dangling inside the bathroom while his head, arms, and torso were on outside of window. He couldn’t get a good grip with his feet, probably struggled until he couldn’t hold himself any longer. Very sad and sounds like a freak accident.

all MOO based on details in this article: Cancun resort manager says body of Texas firefighter was discovered wedged in window by a gardener | Daily Mail Online

I agree about it being a freak accident. Your scenario makes sense - or he could’ve gone in through the door but got locked inside? Maybe he was very drunk, passed out for a bit & when he woke up the door had been locked for the night?

 

[AzPistonsGirl]

But later forensics determined he was put in there....

I think you are discussing Kendrick Johnson. If so, can you provide a link to back up this claim that forensics determined he was put there?

 

[Satchie]

The nurse, well, it's me. He was a firefighter, he was in and out of windows probably almost daily. ( Arlington is not exactly crime- free, and there are both arson and accidental fires in the city limits).

I think he over-estimated his abilities to slink into or out of a window that small, or was too drunk to gauge how small 24 inches is for a full grown man.
My WAIST was 24 inches until menopause. I could slink in and out almost anywhere, but was never a burglar, of course.

Does a drunk man really not just go take a whizz in an alley, behind a tree, or whatever late at night? In New Orleans, my former husband once grabbed me up out of the curb area, which had free- flowing urine in it. I didn't know this happened, and almost stepped in it.

He didn't necessarily know it was a bathroom.

For whatever reason, he wanted to get in, or out.

For getting in, since it's only 2 feet off the ground, I envision someone trying to sit on the ledge and slide in feet first, but if their feet don't touch the ground on the inside, they might end up turning onto their stomach to try to crawl back out, but they're stuck...

 

[anonypotomous]

Two feet? 24 inches? His shoulders certainly were bigger than that! He was a broad shouldered fit fireman. That's a heck of a wedge through. I mean even getting his shoulders through would have required a LOT of shimmying. I can see how all of the bruising would happen if he was struggling and could not get in or out. Heck, my husband has a lean runner/yoga build, and I don't even think he could fit.

 

[Kitten72]

Agreed. Especially the first night of vacation! I typically go to bed earlier and am not in it for the long hall. I went looking for my ex once around 4 am because I left him at the bar. He was passed out outside. The next day we were approached from Hotel management because he urinated in the elevator….and had no recollection.

I've spent a loooot of time in Mexican all-inclusive resorts over the past 20 years (including going to the same one for over 10 years, once or twice annually). The staff are generally extremely friendly and honest, hard-working people. We got to know many of the long-term employees during our stay(s) and never experienced any ill-toward behavior.

My husband, every once in a great while, will simply lose control and drink himself silly. It's awful, I know, and definitely an issue that he is working on. He's normally a straight-laced professional but occasionally drinks to excess. When he does so, he pretty much just passes out. I think it's happened three times while we've been on Mexican vacations. I've never seen particularly weak drinks being poured nor "moonshine" being served. Stronger drinks get better tips, and the bartenders aren't going to intentionally skimp or water down alcohol. It's a major draw and a huge part of a resort's reputation. It's easier to get a mixed drink than a glass of water at most places.

Staff were very helpful and compassionate when my husband once passed out somewhere (I, like Mrs. Snow, had already retired to the room with the kids) and security brought him back to the room passed out and in a wheelchair. It was humiliating, but he was safe. If he had a tendency to wander while drunk, I can only imagine the scary situations he could have gotten into. The exterior of the resorts is lovely, but the employee areas (like the bathroom pictured) can be pretty rough. In my mind, the window was likely left looking unfinished because it was "good enough" to provide the minimum privacy and ventilation for the employees.

Thugs, robbers, and the cartel are typically not going go after a tourist at an all-inclusive resort. Most people might be carrying at most a few bucks for tips and will leave jewelry in the safe. Anyone who obviously doesn't belong on the property is immediately escorted out. Of course the tourism industry is going to minimize violent crime and play down any accidental deaths (including ocean drownings) but imo this guy was at an extremely low risk for anything to happen to him outside of being extremely intoxicated.

Along with being a frequent visitor at several very safe and comfortable Mexican all-inclusive resorts, I also grew up in Arlington. This situation could have easily happened to me if my husband had wandered off and either drowned or had a similar freak accident occur. My heart goes out to the Snow family and to everyone who knew and loved Elijah. I'm definitely going to share this tragic story with my husband so he can appreciate how lucky he has been and hopefully change his behavior in the future.

Agr

 

[SeekingJana]

His mid section- chest to abdomen- should have the largest diameter, so he was literally stuck halfway in, halfway out, and even though was only 2 feet off the ground, was going out backwards.
Humans go into a window head first so we can see where we're going and to use the weight of our head and chest to help propel us in, our arms and shoulders being our steadying forces.
As far as I know, this is instinctual and no one ever has to think about how to go into a cave, a room, the opening to the attic. It's head first or not at all.

Coming out, it's usually instinctive to go feet first. I can see exiting feet first IF going in the window was easy. Maybe he never entered through the window, though.

If he was exiting the window feet first, his hip and abdominal area would have started to feel way too tight, and he could have backed right back into the room before the pressure of the window diameter squeezed his diaphragm and respiratory accessory muscles, and lungs.

 

[insearchoflight]

His mid section- chest to abdomen- should have the largest diameter, so he was literally stuck halfway in, halfway out, and even though was only 2 feet off the ground, was going out backwards.
Humans go into a window head first so we can see where we're going and to use the weight of our head and chest to help propel us in, our arms and shoulders being our steadying forces.
As far as I know, this is instinctual and no one ever has to think about how to go into a cave, a room, the opening to the attic. It's head first or not at all.

Coming out, it's usually instinctive to go feet first. I can see exiting feet first IF going in the window was easy. Maybe he never entered through the window, though.

If he was exiting the window feet first, his hip and abdominal area would have started to feel way too tight, and he could have backed right back into the room before the pressure of the window diameter squeezed his diaphragm and respiratory accesory muscles, and lungs.

This article states that a gardener discovered him with his head, arms, and torso on outside of building. So he was trying to climb out head first or climb in feet first.
Cancun resort manager says body of Texas firefighter was discovered wedged in window by a gardener | Daily Mail Online

 

[anonypotomous]

It's such an odd little remote window!! How would he have even found it? He had to have been on the inside trying to get out. But why was he in the employee bathroom? I hope there is some sort of surveillance. I just can't imagine someone finding that remote window late at night and deciding to crawl into it. But stranger things have happened. We may never know.

Also, I'm assuming there was glass and a frame as well but that was pulled out along with him? Can't imagine it just being a hole in the wall, literally. Or was it?

 

[Satchie]

His mid section- chest to abdomen- should have the largest diameter, so he was literally stuck halfway in, halfway out, and even though was only 2 feet off the ground, was going out backwards.
Humans go into a window head first so we can see where we're going and to use the weight of our head and chest to help propel us in, our arms and shoulders being our steadying forces.
As far as I know, this is instinctual and no one ever has to think about how to go into a cave, a room, the opening to the attic. It's head first or not at all.

Coming out, it's usually instinctive to go feet first. I can see exiting feet first IF going in the window was easy. Maybe he never entered through the window, though.

If he was exiting the window feet first, his hip and abdominal area would have started to feel way too tight, and he could have backed right back into the room before the pressure of the window diameter squeezed his diaphragm and respiratory accessory muscles, and lungs.

I think we'd need to know how far the drop was from the window to the interior floor. It's typical in Mexico to have high interior windows, especially in a bathroom where there's never an inbuilt fan [ETA a typical grotty Mexican/ employee bathroom, I mean, not a fancy hotel bathroom that would have a fan].

So if I were climbing into a window where the floor was at lower level than outside, I wouldn't go head first, I'd plan to land on my feet.

BTW, here's a video of a firefighter going through a very small space: but it's on level ground, so gravity isn't an issue.
Firefighter squeezes through ladder for rescue