Very interesting case. It's interesting what
@meanmaryjean said about drowning with a tracheostomy stoma. You could be treading water to stay afloat but with an unhealed stoma you would drown since water would still enter the lungs. I wonder whether drowning that way would be less terrifying since you wouldn't be conscious of water entering your mouth or nose which is a primal fear.
If the image of the deceased is fairly accurate I would say he is on the upper end of the age range, even perhaps in his mid 70s perhaps born in the 1920s making him eligible for military service during WW2. The poor fellow had undergone extensive surgeries that would be life altering. He couldn't talk anymore having his larynx removed. One of his scars suggest he may also have had a collapsed lung at some time. Perhaps meanmaryjean could verify if those incision/scars could reflect that. They sound very similar to incisions my ex-husband had when he had a collapsed lung. I wish the autopsy had indicated how recent the laryngectomy operation was if possible. I read that laryngeal cancer usually presents around the age of 63 with less than 20% getting it prior to 55 and is more common in men than women.
Initially, I wondered if he had been on a cruise ship and somehow 'fell off'. I put quotes around fell off because it's almost impossible to fall off a cruise ship accidentally. Only suicide, foul play or reckless activity that usually includes alcohol lead to someone falling off a cruise ship. Plus, the ship would find out pretty quickly if they lost a passenger or crew member. If he did fall off a vessel it's more likely he fell off a private craft but then you'd think if he was alone, a boat drifting aimlessly would be found in that area leading to an investigation. If he wasn't alone, well.....
Most of his clothes suggest he had some connection to the UK, perhaps not as a citizen but maybe lived where Marks and Sparks operated. There is a M & S In Bermuda and one in Bahamas. Bahamas is much closer to Florida than Bermuda.
There are so many countries that have or had M & S stores during that era, including Canada where I live. Here's a list of countries that have enjoyed having M and S as a retailer.
We operate a family of businesses, selling high-quality, great-value own-brand products in the UK and internationally.
corporate.marksandspencer.com
I am having a bit of a problem assuming this gentlemen was buried at sea. There are protocols regarding burying someone at sea. The following link lists what they are. Most burials are cremated remains and if the burials are full body burials the regulations are very strict.
If the family of John F. Kennedy Jr. decides to bury him at sea, they will be following an ancient practice that is gaining popularity.
www.tampabay.com
I am in agreement with posters who see the ring insignia as the cross of Lorraine. It's hard to say whether the creature is a griffin, dragon or wyvern since the quality of the workmanship isn't the best. I can't really tell if the image is raised or carved.
Edited to add: Does anyone find it odd that his dentures had missing incisors? Does it suggest that when he had his natural teeth his incisors were missing so they just recreated what his teeth looked like?
