Last week, one of the trending stories in Massachusetts was the dead body pulled out of the water off the shores of Boston. I have to be honest when the story first broke, the last thing I thought of was that it was "probably" a burial at sea gone wrong.

Authorities noted that the body was embalmed and that the woman in her sixties was found with cancerous tumors. Case closed. Inquiring minds want to know, though. How often do burials at sea happen and what went wrong in this case?

Is Burial At Sea Legal In Massachusetts?

If a Massachusetts family wants to bury their loved one at sea, it is lawful, but some actions have to be taken in order to comply with Environmental Protection Agency laws.

The following activity is not allowed under the MPRSA general permit for burial at sea:

• Placement of human remains in ocean waters within three nautical miles from shore, i.e., the ordinary low water mark or a closing line drawn on nautical charts across the openings of bays and rivers.
• Placement of non-human remains, including pets.
• Placement of materials which are not readily decomposable in the marine environment, such as plastic or metal flowers and wreaths, tombs, tombstones, gravestones, monuments, mausoleums, artificial reefs, etc. -epa.gov

If no casket is used, the EPA recommends wrapping a natural fiber shroud around the body and adding additional weight, such as a steel chain, to aid in rapid sinking.

You must notify the EPA thirty days in advance and there is no fee. For more rules go here. There is no state where it is illegal since it's in ocean waters.