Autopsy: Swimmer thought killed by shark actually drowned

A Pittsburgh vacationer on the Outer Banks thought to have been killed by a shark in September actually died of accidental drowning, the final autopsy report says.

The report was released today by the North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

It says that Richard Snead, 60, drowned. His body was discovered the morning of Sept. 17 by a passerby walking on a beach in Kill Devil Hills.

Snead was on vacation with his wife in Corolla and had gone for a swim after 9 p.m. on Sept. 12. She called 911 to report him missing just after midnight after he did not return.

An autopsy was done at the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University. Initially, the office said Snead died of a shark attack. But in October, the medical examiner said the death appeared to be a drowning and remained under review.

The final autopsy report said disruption of the body “limited the reliability” of an examination of a lung and made it difficult to determine the cause of death.

When Snead went into the water, it was dark and there were coastal wind warnings, the report said. Doctors reviewed shark behavior and photos with marine biologists and determined that “death was not likely due to shark attack.”

Patrick Wilson, (757) 446-2957, patrick.wilson@pilotonline.com