Czech worker who lay dead for days in campervan died from natural causes

Czech worker who lay dead for days in campervan died from natural causes
A Czech winery employee who lay lifeless for a number of days in his van at a lakeside automotive park close to Queenstown most likely died of pure causes, a coroner has discovered.

Zdenek Smerda, 28, died between December 31, 2020, and January 4, 2021, Coroner Alexandra Cunninghame stated.

At the time of his demise, he was dwelling in Bendigo, New Zealand – the place he labored at a winery.
On New Year’s Eve he left the winery in his campervan​, telling his supervisor he was going to Queenstown for the evening and that he could be again in Bendigo the subsequent day.

He didn’t return to work on January 2 and his supervisor reported him lacking on January 4.

Police discovered his campervan on the Wilson Bay automotive park, about 7km west of Queenstown, about 4.40pm on January 4.

Smerda’s badly decomposed physique was face down contained in the locked campervan.

A witness who lived close by instructed police he had seen the campervan parked for 3 or 4 days and was fairly certain he had seen it earlier than New Year’s Day.

Police discovered Lamotrigine tablets contained in the camper and a letter written by a Czech clinician explaining that Smerda was prescribed the tablets.

Queenstown.
His physique was discovered 7km west of Queenstown, New Zealand. (Today)

A relative instructed police that Smerda had epilepsy and sort 2 diabetes, and that his spleen had been surgically eliminated.

Lamotrigine is used to deal with epilepsy and stop seizures.

Spleens are eliminated as a result of they might not be working correctly or are broken or diseased.

An individual with no spleen is at elevated threat of changing into sick or getting severe infections.

Police discovered no proof of Smerda having suicidal ideas however that he was trying ahead to persevering with his travels and had future plans.

There was no proof Smerda used his cell phone after the afternoon of December 31.

An post-mortem was restricted because of the stage of decomposition however there was no proof of acute harm or trauma nor of drug overdose or toxin consumption.

Alcohol was current at very low ranges and no hashish nor carbon monoxide was detected.

Possible causes of demise included diabetic coma and epilepsy, the physician conducting the post-mortem concluded.

Police had been conscious of no suspicious circumstances.

The coroner was happy Smerda died because of pure causes.

This article has been reproduced with permission from Stuff.co.nz.