Found Deceased UK - Richard Okorogheye, 19, Oxford Student, Ladbroke Grove, West London, 24 March 2021 #2

[slond123]

He doesn't seem to have a towel or anything with him or a change of clothes. Not sure either how many taxi's would be happy letting someone sit in the back for 45 mins sopping wet for the ride back. He must surely also know with the temperature barely above zero going for a wild dip with no one around could put him in serious danger with his Sickle Cell? I wonder if it's pathologically possible to determine if he was likely having a sickle cell crisis at around the time of death which could explain how he overcame the urge to surface.

If he was having a SC crisis, he would have found it hard to walk, breathe & been in pain. On CCTV, he looked OK, not like he was having a medical emergency

 

[infinit]

If he was having a SC crisis, he would have found it hard to walk, breathe & been in pain. On CCTV, he looked OK, not like he was having a medical emergency

I meant once he got into the water.

 

[NorthernSoul]

I truly feel what she is saying here and it hurts me when I see those final images of him thinking that he was possibly about to walk off into the darkness alone but he was likely in a dark place, his mind wasn’t scared or thinking about what harm he might come to. JMO. I do wonder where his belongings might be but if you’ve seen the girl in the tank documentaries they explain how she drowned and was found without her clothing. So they could still be in the pond somewhere hence the continued search there.

I haven't seen these documentaries - they sound very interesting. Like his mum my first instinct was that the fact all 3 of these items are missing leaves questions still to be answered. I can easily see the phone being in the water somewhere, the bag could have come off but I'm not sure I understand why he would take his shoes off and throw them in?

 

[Al Ka]

As a matter of routine, as Richard had been reported missing prior to the discovery of his body, a referral has been made to the Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards (DPS) and to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.

Body found in Epping Forest formally identified as 19-year-old Richard Okorogheye

Really, as a matter of routine... yet no mention they have refused to make missing person report from his mum and rebuffed her with: ‘if you can’t find your son, how do you expect police officers to find your son for you?’

Only after outcry of public on social media, police finally listened to his mum.

I don't see any refferal to independent watchdog conduct with regards to this incident and small announcement in press by police with regards to this is just not good enough. It seems that all this was swept under the carpet and forgotten in two weeks time.

There’s a baying mob on Twitter blaming the police for fobbing off his mother & not locating him sooner. Is there any truth in this?

Could he have been saved?

I agree that there should be public outcry that police did not take mum's report seriously and especially how they talked to her and waisted hours before they have changed their minds, but no, I personally do not believe he could have been saved even if they have acted swiftly.

 

[Sundried]

I haven't seen these documentaries - they sound very interesting. Like his mum my first instinct was that the fact all 3 of these items are missing leaves questions still to be answered. I can easily see the phone being in the water somewhere, the bag could have come off but I'm not sure I understand why he would take his shoes off and throw them in?

It’s something to do with the hypothermia and the bodies reaction to want to remove clothing, it was a chilly night I would imagine the water was very cold and he may have kicked his shoes off? He also may have been clutching his bag at the point he went into the water rather than wearing it and over the course of the following days it’s drifted away from him.

 

[Spiderplant]

Such a sad situation. You always hope this will be the one who comes home.

 

[Commoner]

It’s something to do with the hypothermia and the bodies reaction to want to remove clothing, it was a chilly night I would imagine the water was very cold and he may have kicked his shoes off? He also may have been clutching his bag at the point he went into the water rather than wearing it and over the course of the following days it’s drifted away from him.

You're thinking of paradoxical undressing

Hypothermia - Wikipedia

but if that were the case, would it be only shoes that were taken off?

I'm having trouble finding a site that gives past overnight temperatures - does anybody know one, or have a note on how chilly it was that night?

 

[ChatteringBirds]

I am so sorry, for him and his family. I hope his family is surrounded by love and support.

 

[Al Ka]

There has been a referral to the IOPC about the Met handled the case when Richard was first reported missing

Richard Okorogheye death: Met referred to police watchdog

Thank you. I just see this now after my previous post. Glad this will be looked into by police watchdog even though this article once again states - The Met said referral is a matter of routine..

 

[Kaykedi]

You're thinking of paradoxical undressing

Hypothermia - Wikipedia

but if that were the case, would it be only shoes that were taken off?

I'm having trouble finding a site that gives past overnight temperatures - does anybody know one, or have a note on how chilly it was that night?

Managed to find a couple of sites showing that it was 4 degrees the night of 22/3/2021 (but, I don't know how to link these sorry)

 

[Commoner]

Managed to find a couple of sites showing that it was 4 degrees the night of 22/3/2021 (but, I don't know how to link these sorry)

Thanks

Any medics on the thread? My lay understanding is that a clothed person out in that temperature wouldn't really be at risk of hypothermia. But with sickle cell, I guess it could be very different?

BBC main evening news has just shown an interview with a Richard's mother. She said she does not believe he was suicidal. And also mentioned that if he had a sickle cell crisis, he would become incapacitated to the point of being unable to move.

She also said that he was well capable of turning up at hospital if he felt one coming on

(Sorry, no link as that's from broadcast, not the website)

 

[Sundried]

You're thinking of paradoxical undressing

Hypothermia - Wikipedia

but if that were the case, would it be only shoes that were taken off?

I'm having trouble finding a site that gives past overnight temperatures - does anybody know one, or have a note on how chilly it was that night?

Yeh I was thinking strange it would be shoes rather than clothes but confusion perhaps? I don’t know....Will be interesting to see if they are found and where.

 

[Sundried]

BBC main evening news has just shown an interview with a Richard's mother. She said she does not believe he was suicidal. And also mentioned that if he had a sickle cell crisis, he would become incapacitated to the point of being unable to move.

I really don’t know now if she is unwilling to accept it or she knows more...

 

[infinit]

Yeh I was thinking strange it would be shoes rather than clothes but confusion perhaps? I don’t know....Will be interesting to see if they are found and where.

If he went into the forest and was delusion or disorientated I just don't personally see him making it to the Pond. If you just picked a random direction and started walking from the last sighting the ponds are not that big that you'd expect to randomly come across one. I could get more behind it if he was seen making the right onto Epping New Road

 

[Sundried]

If he went into the forest and was delusion or disorientated I just don't personally see him making it to the Pond. If you just picked a random direction and started walking from the last sighting the ponds are not that big that you'd expect to randomly come across one. I could get more behind it if he was seen making the right onto Epping New Road

I meant when he went into the water, if it was particularly cold?

 

[Marg from Oz]

Does anyone know how deep the pond is?

 

[infinit]

Does anyone know how deep the pond is?

There is a graph halfway down this page that seems to suggest atleast up to 3.5m in places: Freshwater Energetics - FSC Biology Fieldwork

 

[TizerisT]

I meant when he went into the water, if it was particularly cold?

In the early hours of the night in March, in England? Absolutely freezing. Perhaps even fatally so.
As a Sickle Cell sufferer, this would be even worse still.

 

[Commoner]

Interesting blog on typical freshwater lake temperatures in England

A brief guide to water temperatures in open water


JMO my guess is that in March, on the outskirts of London and in a wooded (rather than exposed) location, it would fall into the 'effing cold' category

"Typical lake and river temperature in early spring. Still painfully cold and not recommended for anything other than very short swims (5 to 10 minutes) unless you are very experienced"

Definite risk of hypothermia (which it seems only recedes when the water is likely to be 10 or more degrees warmer, and water temperature is only described as 'pleasant' a further 10 degrees warmer than that)

 

[Sarahlou]

Does anyone know how deep the pond is?

I had a Google and noticed someone mentioned it was about 8ft deep in the part they fished in.