On Saturday afternoon, a friend of Dr. Marianne E. Cinat found the medical director from UCI Regional Burn Center dead in her backyard swimming pool in Rossmoor. Details of the death are still under investigation by the coroner's office through the Orange County Sheriff's Department.
The 46-year-old's body was discovered at 11:14 a.m., according to the OC Register report. An autopsy was scheduled for Sunday.
Along with her position with the burn center, Cinat also was a professor in the UCI School of Medicine, sharing her knowledge and experience as a trauma surgeon.
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The response from the UCI community has been that of surprise, dismay and warm memories of Cinat's contributions to the school and the patients she worked with.
Cinat was “an outstanding surgeon whose skill and compassion touched the lives of hundreds of burn survivors and their families,” according to John Murrary, a spokesman with the UCI Medical Center. “She was a wonderful colleague, friend and mentor whose presence will be deeply missed.”
