Sailor electrocuted in Iraq KBR shower, his family was told he died of natural causes.- among 18 electrocution deaths in KBR showers
Johnny Asia
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090203/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/iraq_contractors_electrocutions
AP NewsBreak: Sailor electrocuted
By KIMBERLY HEFLING, Associated Press Writer - Mon Feb 2, 11:04 pm ET
WASHINGTON - A third U.S. service member has been determined to have been
electrocuted in a shower in Iraq, and Navy criminal investigators are
investigating, The Associated Press has learned.
Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class David A. Cedergren, 25, of South St. Paul,
Minn., died Sept. 11, 2004, while showering. His family was told he died of
natural causes.
Late last year, the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology changed the manner
of Cedergren's death to "accidental," caused by electrocution and
inflammation of the heart. The Naval Criminal Investigative Service has
reopened an investigation into his death, Ed Buice, a NCIS spokesman, said
Monday.
Cedergren's death is among 18 electrocution deaths - 16 U.S. service members
and two military contractors - under review as part of a Department of
Defense Inspector General inquiry. Improperly installed or maintained
electrical devices have been blamed in some of the deaths, while accidental
contact with power lines caused others.
The inquiry primarily involves electrical work done at a facility where a
Green Beret, Staff Sgt. Ryan Maseth, 24, of Pittsburgh, was electrocuted
while showering in January 2008.
Cedergren - a medic - was found in an outdoor shower stall in Camp
Iskandariyah, Iraq, not breathing and without a pulse.
His brother, Barry Cedergren, said his family initially suspected he'd been
shocked because, according to reports shown to the family, witnesses told
investigators that some service members had reported being shocked in the
shower.
He said military investigators took a second look at the case after a
request from former Sen. Norm Coleman, R.-Minn.
"We're looking further into what our options are," said Barry Cedergren, of
Ramsey, Minn.
Maseth's death was initially considered accidental, but is now classified by
Army investigators as "negligent homicide" caused by Houston-based
contractor KBR Inc. and two of its supervisors. An Army investigator said
the contractor failed to ensure that "qualified electricians and plumbers"
did the work. The case is under legal review.
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