Autopsy: manner of death of Boone County assistant fire chief ruled accidental

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Boone County Deputy Medical Examiner has ruled the cause of death of a Boone County Assistant Fire Chief who died in July as drowning.

Boone County Fire Protection District Assistant Fire Chief Matthew Tobben, 42, died while assisting the Columbia Fire Department in a water rescue effort on July 8.

According to the final diagnoses report, Tobben's cause of death was drowning. The manner of death was also ruled an accident.

Deputy Medical Examiner Edward Adelstein wrote in the report that Tobben did have water in his airways along with hyperinflated lungs, hemorrhage in the distal lobes of his lung and bruising on his left lower leg and upper chest.

The postmortem examination report states the evidence of injury included an irregularly shaped bruise on his lower left leg around his knee and a small irregularly shaped bruise on his left chest. Foam was also present around the mouth, according to the report.

There was nothing remarkable to the medical examiner during the examination of most of Tobben's body.

Adelstein wrote there were no abnormalities of the scalp or skull. The report describes Tobben as a "well-developed, well-nourished male whose appearance is consistent with the given age of 42 years."

The toxicology report states the examination "did not reveal any positive findings of toxicological significance."

Assistant Fire Chief Gale Blomenkamp said back in July Tobben had just started his position as Director of Training with the department on May 1.

Before then, Tobben had spent 19 years with the Union, Missouri, fire department and also served 12 years with Missouri Task Force 1.

Tobben leaves behind a wife and two children. A memorial service was held for him in his hometown of Union, Missouri where hundreds of people gathered to honor Tobben.

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