Death by coconut

Coconuts falling from their trees and striking individuals can cause serious injury to the back, neck, shoulders and head, and are occasionally fatal.^[1]

Following a 1984 study on "Injuries Due to Falling Coconuts", exaggerated claims spread concerning the number of deaths by falling coconuts. Falling coconuts, according to urban legend, kill a few people a year. This legend gained momentum after the 2002 work of a noted expert on shark attacks was characterized as saying that falling coconuts kill 150 people each year worldwide. This statistic has often been contrasted with the number of shark-caused deaths per year, which is around five.^[2]

Concern about the risk of fatality due to falling coconuts led local officials in Queensland, Australia, to remove coconut trees from beaches in 2002. One newspaper dubbed coconuts "the killer fruit".^[3] Historical reports of actual death by coconut nonetheless date back to the 1770s.^[4]

Death by coconut can also occur as sudden cardiac death caused by hyperkalemia after consuming moderate to large quantities of coconut water, due to its high potassium level.^[5] Although rare,^[6] cases have also been reported of anaphylaxis among patients with a food allergy to coconut.^{[7][8][9][10]}