Deceased
David Benjamin INGRAM
Demographics
44y, male
Coroner
Deputy State Coroner Linton
Date of death
2021-09-24
Finding date
2025-05-05
Cause of death
unascertained - may have been injury from fall, drowning, or predation from marine life
AI-generated summary
David Ingram, a 44-year-old deckhand, disappeared from the cargo vessel Maersk Mover on 24 September 2021 in the Indian Ocean off Exmouth, WA. He had an undiagnosed paranoid schizophrenia with a history of anxiety, depression, and previous suicidal ideation, managed with olanzapine since July 2020. Medical records were not disclosed to his employer or ship's officers during induction. In his final days, David exhibited paranoid thoughts, believing he had been drugged, despite no evidence of this and reportedly good crew relations. He became unwell and withdrawn in his last shift, then disappeared in the early morning hours. Footprints found later suggested he went overboard from a precarious area. Clinically, the case highlights the importance of: (1) assessing mental health risk before offshore work, (2) communicating psychiatric diagnoses to occupational health when relevant to safety, (3) recognising decompensation in patients with psychotic illness, particularly when medication compliance is uncertain, and (4) ensuring crew awareness of mental health support resources and escalation protocols.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes. Report an inaccuracy.
Specialties
Error types
Drugs involved
Clinical conditions
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