To show that a victim has drowned, rather than resort to showing a blue-faced, bloated corpse, their Nice Hat (or other character specific personal effect) is seen bobbing on the surface of the water. If the particular water hazard was a predator rather than mere drowning, expect a large bite mark taken out of this item. This is subverted frequently, when a hero's hat is floating, sympathizers [...] [tvtropes.org]