Posted on 11/05/2005 3:47:36 PM PST by blam
Death renews iceman 'curse' claim
Should working with Oetzi carry a health warning?
The death of a molecular biologist has fuelled renewed speculation about a "curse" connected to an ancient corpse. Tom Loy, 63, had analysed DNA found on "Oetzi", the Stone Age hunter whose remains were discovered in 1991.
Dr Loy died in unclear circumstances in Australia two weeks ago, it has been announced, making him the seventh person connected with Oetzi to die.
Colleagues and family of Dr Loy have rejected the notion that he was the victim of a "curse".
It is not known how many people have worked on the Oetzi project - and whether the death rate is statistically high.
The amateur climber who found Oetzi in 1991, Helmut Simon, was killed during an unexpected blizzard in the Alps last year, not far from the original find.
His body was missing for eight days before it was located.
Within hours of Mr Simon's funeral, the head of the mountain rescue team sent to find him died of a heart attack, aged 45 and apparently in good health.
Four other people associated with Oetzi have died, prompting rumours of a "mummy's curse":
Rainer Henn, 64, a forensic pathologist who handled the body. He was killed in a car crash the following year
Kurt Fritz, the mountaineer who led Dr Henn to the body. He was killed in an avalanche shortly after Dr Henn died
Rainer Holz, 47, a filmmaker who made a documentary about removing the body from its block of ice. He died of a brain tumour soon afterwards
Konrad Spindler, 66, an archaeologist who was a leading expert on the body. He died of complications related to multiple sclerosis.
Scoff
Dr Loy's brother Gareth said the two had never talked about a curse - and that Tom Loy had been in poor health, with a condition that caused his blood to clot.
An inquest into Dr Loy's death was inconclusive, ruling out foul play but unable to determine if he had died of natural causes, an accident, or both, Gareth Loy told The Australian newspaper.
An unnamed colleague of Dr Loy scoffed at the idea of a curse, the newspaper reported: "He didn't believe in the curse. It was just superstition. People die."
You wait and see, this curse is hugh and series...
Before the end of this century, we'll all be dead from this curse...
Actually, you mean the annual celebration of your birthday. You really only have one birthday. Hence, if everyone died within six months of their birthday, there'd be no toddlers.
It's pretty embarassing that the BBC is even reporting this. I don't see anything abnormal about a few old men dying of natural causes and a couple others in accidents, and I will go out on a limb and predict that more will die in just the same way over the next ten years.
No fair! How did I get sucked into this?
How about "Totally unrelated" as option C?
think we can put this body in the same room as the entire democratic party??????WOW!!!!!!!we could eliminate all our problems in one fell swoop......
Blame your parents. That's what I've done. It's worked well so far, you know, the guilt trip and all.
LOL! Maybe we could get Howard Dean (he's a doctor, right?) to start an investigation into what evil Republican caused his death ...
Bet I can guess the day you were born within four days..
Note: this topic was posted 11/5/2005. Thanks blam.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.