Del Oro grad’s death ruled accidental
Alcohol, prescription drugs led to 21-year-old’s drowning
A Del Oro graduate died because of an accidental drowning caused by alcohol and prescription drug intoxication, an autopsy report revealed. On Thursday, the Placer County Sheriff’s Office received the autopsy results of 21-year-old Alyse Rachel Conk, whose body was found in a Loomis creek Aug. 26. Conk’s manner of death was ruled an accidental drowning caused by “acute alcohol and over-the-counter medication intoxication,” according to Lt. Jeffrey Ausnow, Placer Sheriff’s spokesman. “Placer County Sheriff’s detectives conducted a thorough scene investigation and found no evidence that foul play was involved in the death,” Ausnow said. Investigators said evidence suggested Conk was sleeping alone in Loomis Basin Community Park and made a makeshift bed of blankets and pillows next to the creek. A 16-year-old boy found Conk’s body in the morning. Ausnow said at the time, deputies suspected that Conk’s death was due to drowning or intoxication but waited until autopsy and toxicology reports were finished. Conk, who was a member of her high school water polo team, graduated from Del Oro High School in 2006. In an earlier Journal report on her death, friends described Conk as a beautiful and kind woman. “She was always a kind-hearted person,” said friend Rachel Foster in a prior Journal report. “I’d always go to her for advice. A lot of people will miss her, because she was always there for people when they needed her.” ~ Jenifer Gee
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The article states:
“She was always a kind-hearted person,” said friend Rachel Foster in a prior Journal report. “I’d always go to her for advice. A lot of people will miss her, because she was always there for people when they needed her.”
So, where were these people when she needed them? Obviously this poor young lady was in a bad spot, otherwise she wouldn't be sleeping by herself, intoxicated and medicated, in a park. Where were her friends? Where was her family?
I think we, as a community, need to spend more time being there for each other; reaching out a helping hand to those that we love when we can see that they need it.
Deepest sympathy to her family and friends.
NiavJoyce, please just offer your sympathy. To attack those that are suffering is wrong. This is not the right place to ask those questions.
Alcohol is used by teenagers and young people quite often and even the best kids do it. This accident is a tragedy. Hopefully her friends and others who hear about it are more cautious because of it.
To her family/friends - I am so sorry about your loss and can only feel the greatest empathy for all of you
So sorry for the loss of this young woman. My prayers to her family and friends.
" “acute alcohol and over-the-counter medication intoxication,”
Alcohol and drugs kill a lot of people every year, and the combination is much more lethal...RIP, NiavJoyce, I do agree with you, we need to be more pro active with those around us
A Del Oro graduate died because of an accidental drowning caused by alcohol and PRESCRIPTION drug intoxication, an autopsy report revealed.
or
Conk’s manner of death was ruled an accidental drowning caused by “acute alcohol and OVER-THE- COUNTER medication intoxication,” according to Lt. Jeffrey Ausnow, Placer Sheriff’s spokesman.
This confuses me. It is as if they want to paint her as a drug user.
Therefore, using any Over-The-Counter meds makes us all 'drug users'.
It is sad no matter what, that a young girl died. That is what needs to be remembered.
Daphne, I think your reading more out of this. I saw that same contradiction in the story and looked a bit further. In fact, if you look at the press release on the Sheriff's web-site, it made no mention of prescription drugs; it mentions only over the counter drugs. Perhaps AJ had conflicting information or other information from the young ladies family.
OTC meds can be just about anything off the shelf at your local grocery store: aspirin, sleep aids, cafeine pills, allergy meds, anything. Mix many of those with alcohol and bad things can happen. This doesn't paint the young lady as a drug user at all....she is the victim of an accident. An accident is just what the word implies...accidental. We don't know what was happening in her life but one thing is clear, it is a tragic loss for her family and friends. No one should have to get that kind of knock at their door and find they have lost a child.