Ecuadorian mourners were reportedly shocked to hear a “dead” relative knocking out of the coffin during the funeral.
Family and friends held a wake for Vera Montoya, 76, in Babajoyo on June 9, according to the New York Post (NYP). report. According to the NYP, Montoya unexpectedly “came to life” during the ceremony. The video appears to show Montoya being dragged out of his coffin and onto a stretcher, surrounded by his loved ones and medical workers who came to his aid.
“My left hand was shaking against the side of the coffin,” Montoya’s son, Gilbert Barberin, told local media, according to the NYP. (Related: 82-year-old woman found alive at funeral home after being pronounced dead)
‘Dead’ woman wakes up in coffin at own funeral: ‘miracle from God’ https://t.co/jdFuBgzpV2 pic.twitter.com/x0FFzlgNz9
— New York Post (@nypost) June 12, 2023
The funeral was held four hours after authorities declared Montoya dead, and inspectors gave Barberan his mother’s official death certificate, which said the cause of death was cardiopulmonary arrest, the newspaper said. Montoya had catalepsy. Catalepsy is a state of apparent death in which the body becomes rigid, respiratory function is impaired, and pain response is impaired. Hospital officials believed Montoya had died because she was showing symptoms.
“My mother is on oxygen. Her heart is stable,” Barberan said. “When the doctors held her hand, she responded. They told me this was a good sign because it meant she was responding little by little.”
According to the NYP, the young man called the event a “miracle from God” and said he was still trying to figure out what happened. “Right now I just hope that my mother’s health improves,” added Barberan. “I want her alive and by my side.”
Ecuador’s health ministry has set up a technical team to investigate alleged errors by the hospital in declaring Montoya’s death, the newspaper said.
A young Mexican child was found alive when his family noticed fog on the glass of his coffin at a funeral, New York police reported. report The newspaper said she was taken to hospital alive but died minutes later.
