O.C. surgeon found dead in swimming pool had sent routine text message to her sister hours earlier
Authorities say there are no obvious clues yet to help them determine how Dr. Marianne Cinat, a prominent Orange County surgeon, wound up dead in her swimming pool Saturday morning.
Nothing stands out as highly suspicious and an autopsy proved inconclusive, said Jim Amormino, a spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff's Department. Toxicology results are pending and could take five to eight weeks.
Cinat, 45, medical director of the UC Irvine Regional Burn Center, was discovered late Saturday morning by a close friend at Cinat's home in unincorporated Rossmoor. She was fully clothed and had been in the pool for more than 10 hours before the call came in at 11:15 a.m., he said.
Cinat's sister Laura Cinat said Monday that they talked on Friday night for about an hour, and Marianne Cinat was in good spirits.
At 12:34 a.m., Laura Cinat sent a text message with a photo of her 7-year-old daughter. Marianne Cinat responded: "Adorable! Melts my heart."
The next day, Cinat was dead –- and her friends and family are left to sort out the mystery.
"She's the kind of person you thought would be invincible," her sister said. "I thought I would have her around for another 45 years."
ALSO:
Feds want to bar Mongols biker gang from using its trademarked logo
Departing police chief: Costa Mesa manufacturing financial crisis for political reasons
-- Nicole Santa Cruz
Photo: Dr. Marianne Cinat. Credit: UC Irvine Medical Center
EDITOR'S PICKS:
