Why did Igor die?

[amashilu]

Igor's autopsy notes that although he was certainly beat up, ".....the above-mentioned injuries are light and not damaging to health" and concludes that therefore he died from freezing.

I am trying to understand this.

Igor was experienced at winter hiking and knew how to build a snow shelter. He was warmly dressed (except for shoes), injured but not incapacitated, strong, intelligent, and skillful, and certainly had a will to live.

If he was the last one alive, or one of the 2 or 3 last ones, why didn't he dig himself a shelter?

Do we believe that he just laid down and died?

[Senior Maldonado]

If he was the last one alive, why didn't he dig himself a shelter?

Probably, Igor was one of the first to die. Otherwise, he would have taken additional clothing from the corpses. The last to die were R4, and we can see clearly that they borrowed pullovers, pants, and more from their friends, who had already been dead.

[amashilu]

If he was one of the first to die, then again, why did he die?

[bongyi]

I do not know. It's already strange that then there would be a difference in the conditions at the cedar and at the beginning of the journey to the tent, so that someone freezes while moving! And why is he lying on his back, stretched out and hugging the tree branch? Why not protect yourself curled up from the cold? And the much weaker Zina would go much further! That's quite impossible, let's face it!

Obviously it didn't happen that way! But then how?

[Senior Maldonado]

If he was one of the first to die, then again, why did he die?

According to the autopsy report, Igor froze to death, when he attempted to go against crazy cold wind back to the tent. But we do not have results of chemical analysis of his tissues. It leaves us vast area for speculations. I tend to believe that Igor's lungs were stuffed with that beta emitter, which expert Levashov found in May on R4 clothes. Beta particles kill live cells, when they penetrate human organs.

[amashilu]

According to the autopsy report, Igor froze to death, when he attempted to go against crazy cold wind back to the tent. But we do not have results of chemical analysis of his tissues. It leaves us vast area for speculations. I tend to believe that Igor's lungs were stuffed with that beta emitter, which expert Levashov found in May on R4 clothes. Beta particles kill live cells, when they penetrate human organs.

Yes, I think it had to be something like that; either beta radiation or some kind of chemical mist or fuel. He is not the kind of person to just lie down and die.

I would like to hear what those who hang their hat on a snow collapse think about why Igor died.

[Ziljoe]

Where does it say Igor was certainly beat up?

[amashilu]

Where does it say Igor was certainly beat up?

Ziljoe, "beat up" is my own phrase for his cuts and bruises.

[GlennM]

That really does get to the heart of the disaster.  Lets explore the question. There is nothing in the case file to suggest anyone slowed the progress of the hike after Yuden departed. Igor's ski boots being cached is something that seems wrong though. So, I will assume for sake of arguement that when they left the tent on 1079, all were equally fit to travel. They must have had only two priorities. They were heat and shelter. From the available evidence the heat produced by the fire at the cedar was insufficient to heat them all up as a group. One forum contributor suggests that excavating a snow cave happened at the same time as fire building, hinting at an early division of labor. It also suggests a relay from excavation to warming and back to excavation.  I suggest Zolo was in charge of the cave.

If three people abandoned this process to return to the tent, I can only imagine it because the weather had moderated.  That said, I think they would retrace their steps for safety and efficiency. This did not happen. I think it odd because the prints were preserved. This hints that the weather was not that much improved, but it also suggests desperation. Again, a conundrum. What was so compelling that they couldn't attend to when they all first left the tent? 

So, was Igor first to die? I do not think his state of dress is an indication. IRZ may have acted independently of the others who in their sub group, shared tunnelling tasks and clothing from the Yuris. If so. The Yuris may not have proceeded IRZ in death. For me the only indicators for IRZ are the time it takes for the body to shut down, the direction of travel and injuries. I do not see any cardinal indicator that Igor, nor anyone else was first to succumb.  My intuition says that they all fought the urge to sleep until each in their own time did so.

[GlennM]

I will also add in light of the neta emission comments that it would be a singularly low form of cowardice for a group leader to abandon his group. Captain Schettino of the Costa Concordia noted.

[amashilu]

I will also add in light of the neta emission comments that it would be a singularly low form of cowardice for a group leader to abandon his group. Captain Schettino of the Costa Concordia noted.

Glennm, I'm sorry but I don't understand this? Is there a spelling error or auto-correct somewhere that obfuscates what you are trying to say?

[GlennM]

Pesky autocorrect. What I was getting at was that I find it doubtful Igor would abandon his companions in a crisis. We do know that other leaders have been a disappointment in a crisis.

[amashilu]

Pesky autocorrect. What I was getting at was that I find it doubtful Igor would abandon his companions in a crisis. We do know that other leaders have been a disappointment in a crisis.

Oh I totally agree.

[GlennM]

Amashilu, what is your thinking about the progression of the events in the forest?

[amashilu]

Amashilu, what is your thinking about the progression of the events in the forest?

Glennm, I wish I could answer that question.
Why did Igor die?
Did someone really climb the tree? and if so, why on earth would they do that?
How did Krivonischenko burn his left shin?
I have to start with simple facts, one at a time, and see where each one leads, before arriving at a place where I can actually build a theory or a timeline.