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The bathroom is, for most people, a banal, private space. But history shows that, in rare circumstances, the simple act of using a bathroom can turn into a fatal episode.
From medieval murders to domestic accidents, including sunken submarines and unexpected encounters with animals, there are at least seven records of different deaths linked to toilets and latrines that seem to have come out of a dark comedy narrative, recalls .
1. Murder
One of the oldest cases dates back to 1076, when Geoffrey the Hunchback, Duke of Lower Lorraine, was murdered in a particularly unusual way. According to medieval accounts, the nobleman was attacked after he had “retired” — a discreet wording to say he was using the latrine.
The killer, hiding below, would have used a spear to kill him. The episode serves as a starting point for a less caricatural reality: bathrooms can contain several risks.
2. Stay in Valsalva
In modern homes, the kitchen is often seen as the most dangerous space, because of knives, stoves and boiling water. But up to 80% of falls at home occur in the bathroomdue to hard and slippery surfaces, such as tiles, bathtubs and wet floors.
In the United States alone, around 40,000 injuries per year are specifically related to toilets. There are cases of people being injured by the top, of toilets collapsing under the weight of the person using them and, in more serious situations, of fatal falls, especially among the elderly.
Another less obvious danger is associated with constipation: Excessive strength can increase blood pressure and affect the flow of oxygen to the brain, especially in people with heart problems.
3. Drowning
Before modern plumbing, latrines were often deep pits, sometimes connected to underground waterways. These pits could be lethal to anyone who fell inside. The most dramatic example occurred in 1184, in the cathedral of Erfurt, Germany.
During a meeting called by King Henry VI to resolve a territorial dispute, the wooden floor gave way. Around 60 people fell into a latrine pit and drowned. The king survived because he was sitting on an elevated stone area.
4. Submarine disaster
Centuries later, during the Second World War, a toilet was the cause of a military disaster.
In 1945, the German submarine U-1206 was equipped with an advanced system to expel waste directly into the sea. The mechanism, however, was complicated. The captain activated it incorrectly, causing sewage to enter the submarine. The residue reached the batteries, releasing chlorine gas. The crew was forced to surface and abandon the vessel. Three men drowned trying to escape and the rest were captured by the Allies.
5. Electrocution
Metal toilets have also been linked to electrocution deaths in US prisons.
In 1989, Michael Anderson Godwin, convicted of murder in South Carolina, died while trying to repair a television in his cell while sitting on the toilet. An electrical wire in the mouth caused a fatal discharge.
The irony of the case is that Godwin had previously escaped the death penalty by electric chair. In 1997, Laurence Baker in Pittsburgh died under similar circumstances due to current from makeshift headphones plugged into the television.
6. Snakes and rats
Not all dangers come from the toilet structure itself. In 2016, in Thailand, a man was bitten by a python that emerged from the toilet.
Although rare, cases of snakes and rats entering through pipes can happen, especially after floods or heavy rains, when the animals seek shelter in the sewers.
7. Spiders
Outdoor latrines have another risk: poisonous spiders. Australian black widows and perils are attracted to insects and can install webs under seats.
Before internal plumbing became widespread, these bites were frequent enough to prompt medical studies. Today, thanks to treatments and antidotes, they are rarely fatal, but they continue to warrant simple advice: In outdoor bathrooms, you may want to raise the seat before sitting down.
