This is the conclusion reached by forensic expert Yuri Morozov.
The press has written about this tragic story more than once. A group of tourists led by Igor Dyatlov died inexplicably in February 1959 in the mountains of the Northern Urals. The investigation was highly classified. The parents of the deceased children never found out the truth, the investigation concluded that the Dyatlovites "died of freezing", and in fact some of them had fatal injuries. About these injuries, we decided to talk with a specialist with 38 years of experience, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor Yuri Morozov.
Five are definitely frozen
Yuri Evseevich carefully studied the materials of forensic experts who examined the dead in 1959, and divided the posthumous acts into two groups. The first is freezing cases. Second, death came from traumatic influences.
From the forensic examination report:
Corpse Pose. The corpse lies on its back, arms bent at the elbows, fists pressed to the chest. The head of the corpse is thrown back slightly, the legs are bent … The feet are turned inward and touch with the thumbs."
Yu. M.: - This posture is very typical for death from freezing.
- There is a suspicion from various experts that Dyatlov died in a prone position. And then someone turned him over on his back.
Promotional video:
- Then the cadaveric spots should be on the front surface of the body. But in the act of examining Dyatlov's corpse, it is said about the location of cadaveric spots only on the back of the neck, trunk and limbs. So, he died lying on his back.
Yuri Doroshenko, 21 years old
From the forensic examination report:
“… Abrasions and skin wounds were caused by a blunt instrument, and could also result from falling and bruising on stones, ice, and so on. The above injuries were caused both during life and posthumously … He had a meal 6-8 hours before his death. No alcohol was found."
Georgy Krivonischenko, 23 years old
From the forensic examination report:
“Death came from freezing. As evidenced by the edema of the meninges, the presence of cadaveric spots …"
- Yuri Yevseevich, rescuers told about the unusual red skin color of Doroshenko and other victims. What does that mean? Maybe there was some kind of chemical effect?
- Red skin color is often observed in those killed by freezing. As for the possible chemical effect, the case does not indicate a toxicological examination, therefore nothing can be said.
From the authors:
In about the same way, Yuri Morozov described the corpses of Zinaida Kolmogorova and Alexander Kolevatov. There was no significant damage to them, and experts concluded that these guys froze to death. True, Zina Kolmogorova will be found at the beginning of the prospecting work, and Alexander only 2.5 months later in the stream.
THE IMPACT WAS SUCH POWER, IT WAS ON THE PEOPLE SOMEONE JUMPED
Rustem Slobodin, 23 years old
From the forensic examination report:
"… On the scales of the left temporal bone in the forward and upward direction there is a crack in the bone with a divergence of the edges up to 0.1 cm, the length of the crack is 6 cm. The bones of the skull base are intact."
Yu. M.: - This isolated crack could have formed from a blow with a hard blunt object. It could have been a fall on a flat rock. It is possible that the crack formed after death. If this injury was caused during life, then there would be bruises or abrasions.
- But if the injury was during life, then how long can a person live with such a wound?
- She's not life threatening. In this case, there is no brain damage.
Lyudmila Dubinina, 20 years old
From the forensic examination report:
“No eyes. Soft tissues of the upper lip are missing. There is no tongue in the oral cavity … In the area of the right ventricle there is a 4x4 cm hemorrhage … The horns of the hyoid bone are unusually mobile. Multiple bilateral fracture of the ribs on the right 2, 3, 4, 5 and on the left, fracture of 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 ribs. There are hemorrhages in the places of the fracture”.
Lyudmila Dubinina had no eyes, no tongue, and her ribs were broken on both sides.
Yu. M.: - These terrible fractures of the ribs Lyuda Dubinina received while she was alive. Moreover, these are not just fractures, but deformation of the chest.
- What does it mean?
- The blow was so strong that the ribs broke at the same time, as if someone jumped with all their might right on Luda's chest when she, for example, was lying in the tent.
- And Dubinina could move with such injuries?
- Yes. She could walk on her own for several hours. Vital functions were not impaired.
- But what about the hemorrhage in the heart?
- I think the hemorrhage was not very deep, since its thickness was not noted in the act and it was not studied microscopically. But in any case, this is a serious injury.
- But what about the lack of eyes and tongue?
- These are posthumous injuries. I think the rodents did their best (see "Hunter's commentary"). If these injuries were inflicted during life, then bruising on the skin and hemorrhages in soft tissues would remain.
- But the act also says about the mobility of the hyoid bone?
- Do you mean to say that Dubinina was strangled and damaged the hyoid bone? This is hardly the case. There would be bruises on the neck. And they are not reflected in the act.
Semyon Zolotarev, 37 years old
From the forensic examination report:
“The eyebrows are missing. The eye sockets are gaping. Death occurred as a result of multiple fractures of the ribs with internal bleeding. The injuries occurred during life and are the result of the impact of great force on the chest area. Zolotarev's death is violent."
Semyon Zolotarev has rib fractures (from the 2nd to the 6th) on the right side. The second rib, which is located under the collarbone, most likely could have been broken from a strong blow.
Yu. M.: - These injuries could have formed when struck with a blunt hard object in the right half of Zolotarev's chest. The injuries found on the head of the corpse, in particular the missing eyeballs, were posthumous, that is, they were formed after death, most likely caused by wild animals (foxes) or birds. It is surprising that Zolotarev has a broken second rib, this is the rib under the collarbone. It's not easy to break it. It can be assumed that something very heavy fell on the person from above. I must say that the ribs of young people are very elastic. They bend upon impact. They can be broken only with a very strong impact.
Nikolay Thibault-Brignoles, 23 years old
From the forensic examination report:
"An depressed fracture of the right temporoparietal region in an area measuring 9x7 cm. The indicated section of the bone is pressed into the cranial cavity … a multi-splinter fracture … The above fracture is of lifetime origin and is the result of a great force, followed by a fall, throw and bruise."
Yu. M.: - According to the examination certificate, Nikolai Thibault suffered a severe intravital craniocerebral injury. How long he could live with such an injury is now unlikely to be figured out. It was a powerful blow that could deprive him of his ability to move. But there are times when people do not lose the ability to act consciously even with such injuries. It is possible that Thibault could move with this injury for some time.
CONSCIOUSNESS VIOLATION
- Could this damage be posthumous - from the pressure of snow, for example?
- No, in the area of these injuries, intravital hemorrhages were found.
I am also alarmed by a certain illogicality, confusion in the actions of this group. Why, when leaving the tent, no one tried to leave through the exit? It was buttoned up. Why didn't you bring warm clothes with you? They didn't make a big fire while in the forest … Well, and a number of other details.
This behavior by a group of people can be explained by the fact that the organizational function of the central nervous system is disturbed, a violation of consciousness occurs. This may be intoxication or those factors that we do not know about. This behavior is typical when drunk or poisoned. But, strangely enough, there are no results of toxicological examination in the case.
- But in the acts it is written that no signs of alcoholic intoxication were found.
- Yes, but at the same time the results of laboratory tests themselves are not given, which raises doubts about what was written.
- There is a version that a rocket stage with heptyl fuel could have fallen near the tent. Perhaps they were poisoned with heptyl - choking and behaving like drunk?
- Alas, this version cannot be confirmed now. Volatile gases are rapidly eliminated from the body. Exhumation will not help either. However, there is no objective evidence that would refute this theory.
* Hereinafter, the names of the participants in the fatal campaign are underlined.
HUNTER COMMENTARY
Andrey DOROFEEV, state inspector of the service for the protection of fauna of the Irkutsk region:
- Without eyes and body language, the Dyatlovites could have left mice. The corpse, which had lain in the snow for several months, became their prey, and they first of all ate what they could handle - eyes, cheeks, lips and tongue. The jaw was open, and the mice made their way easily. The mouse will not be able to gnaw off a finger, and soft tissues are easy. The bear would damage the bones of the face, and in this case they are intact. Wolverine, too, would have gnawed all the bones, there would be little left of the corpse.
Recorded by Igor ALEKSICH (“KP” - Irkutsk”).
P. S
And the prosecutor suspected they were drinking
In the criminal case there is a report dated April 18, 1959 by the prosecutor of the city of Ivdel, Vasily Tempalov.
"… when examining the tent, I got the impression that the students drank vodka and had a snack … Based on the found corpses … of the situation in which they were, it became clear to me that all the students were frozen …"
Why did the prosecutor Tempalov "have the impression that the students drank vodka"? His report does not mention empty vodka bottles or flasks. Only instinct tells the prosecutor that only drunk people can jump out of the tent through the cut and barefoot. Having studied the personalities of the Dyatlovites in order, we can say for sure that they could not, forgive me, get drunk to the point of madness. Other researchers ask the question: what if the guys swallowed the drug? But this is absolutely cool fantasy relative to those times. However, it must be admitted that the tourists were really drunk. It is absolutely not clear why they didn’t do the most important thing in the forest - didn’t make a good fire? If the guys were drunk, it was not from vodka or drugs, but from some gases. And this conclusion, whatever one may say, again brings us to the military topic …