Woman declared dead found breathing in coffin, startles mourners

During the wake of an Ecuadorean woman, Bella Montoya, mourners were shocked to discover that she was still alive. Bella had been pronounced dead by a hospital doctor in Babahoyo after a suspected stroke. 

Her body was placed in a coffin and taken to a funeral parlour, where her relatives gathered for a vigil before her planned burial. However, nearly five hours later, when they opened the coffin to change her clothes, Bella suddenly gasped for air, leaving her family astonished. Her son, Gilbert Balberán, described the moment when he realised his mother was alive: "My mum started to move her left hand, to open her eyes, her mouth; she struggled to breathe."

A video captured by one of the mourners shows Bella lying in the open coffin, visibly struggling to breathe, while others express frustration that the ambulance they had called had not yet arrived. Firefighters eventually arrived and transferred Bella back to the hospital where she had been declared dead. According to her son, she was in intensive care but responsive. He shared that the doctor had pinched her hand and she reacted, which was considered a positive sign.

Instances of individuals being declared dead and then showing signs of life are rare but not unheard of. In a similar incident in New York State, an 82-year-old woman was found breathing in a funeral home three hours after being pronounced dead at a nursing home. Dr Stuart Hughes, a senior lecturer in medicine, explained that although such cases are uncommon, death is a process and careful examination is necessary to confirm it.

The Ecuadorian health ministry has launched an investigation into the incident. These occurrences underscore the challenges healthcare professionals face in determining death, especially when certain factors, such as cold bodies or the effects of certain drugs, can complicate the examination process.