Adriana Younge drowning: Warm water accelerated victim’s rise after sinking – pathologists in PME report

A final post-mortem report has confirmed that 11-year-old Adriana Younge died from drowning, with no signs of foul play or physical assault. The findings, prepared by a team of internationally recognized pathologists, address lingering suspicions and speculation raised by the child’s family and members of the public following her death at the Double Day International Hotel on April 24, 2025.
Adriana, who was last seen by her grandmother around 1:01p.m. on April 23 in the hotel’s swimming pool, was found dead in the same pool the following morning. Her disappearance and delayed recovery led her family to question the circumstances of her death, raising concerns that she might have been lured, assaulted, drowned elsewhere, and placed back in the pool.
However, the comprehensive autopsy report dismissed those claims, concluding that Adriana drowned and subsequently sank to the bottom of the pool, as is common in warm freshwater environments. According to the report, “The presence of frothy mucus in the airways, congested lungs, and pleural effusions are consistent with drowning.”
“Drowning in fresh water in a tropical climate with relatively warm temperatures, such as seen in a swimming pool in the Caribbean, usually results in decedents initially sinking to the bottom of the pool. The sinking is usually faster in thin individuals with low body fat when compared to individuals who are obese. A few hours after death has occurred in a submerged body, putrefaction will begin, which will result in the accumulation of gas in the gastrointestinal tract and soft tissues. This accumulation of gas will then cause a decedent to slowly rise to the top of the water and float. The rate of putrefaction and gas formation will depend on factors such as the water temperature and size of the decedent. The warmer the temperature and larger the individual, the faster putrefaction will occur and, as a result, the sooner the body will begin to rise from the bottom and float,” the report statement.
In addressing family concerns, the post-mortem imaging and forensic testing provided no evidence of trauma, physical restraint, or sexual assault. The cotton reportedly seen in Adriana’s nose at recovery is considered a standard postmortem practice, not an indication of violence. Skin changes on her forearms were also attributed to partial submersion effects, not external interference.
Toxicology results detected ethanol, but this was attributed to natural postmortem decomposition rather than alcohol ingestion. DNA analysis and sexual assault kit tests returned negative for any signs of criminal activity.
Pathologists concluded that “there is no physical evidence on the postmortem examination to indicate that she was physically removed from the pool, harmed in any way, and subsequently placed back in the pool after she was deceased”.
Due to the passage of time and lack of corroborative evidence, experts were unable to determine Adriana’s exact time of death, though all findings support the account of a drowning incident followed by delayed surfacing due to putrefaction.
The Guyana Police Force confirmed receipt of the report and reiterated its commitment to transparency. The case file is being finalized for submission to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for review.
As the investigation winds down, Adriana’s family continues to grieve, and authorities have extended their condolences, assuring the public that every angle was thoroughly examined in the search for truth.