82-yr-old woman discovered alive at New York funeral home after being pronounced dead

Local authorities in New York were left dazed and confused after a woman was prematurely declared dead at a nursing home on the morning of Saturday, only to be later found alive, and breathing. The bizarre incident occurred at Water’s Edge Rehab and Nursing Center in Port Jefferson, according to The Guardian.

The woman in question, who aged 82, was wrongly declared dead at 11:15 am and then taken to the OB Davis Funeral Homes in New York’s Miller Place at 1:30 pm. However, within about 40 minutes, she was found perfectly alive and breathing, the local county police said, adding that she was then rushed to a hospital, where her condition remains unclear. 

The case of the unidentified woman has been handed to the state attorney general’s office for further investigation. As unusual as it may seem, this isn’t the first time that the US has witnessed such incidents. Earlier in January, another woman in Iowa was pronounced dead in a hospice but was later found alive. On January 3, a 66-year-old woman was presumed to have died at the Glen Oaks Alzheimer’s Special Care Center in Urbandale in Iowa. 

Similar case occurs in Iowa 

As a result, she was put inside a body bag to be taken to the Ankeny Funeral Home & Crematory for the last rites. Things took a turn when employees at the funeral home opened the bag, only to find the woman gasping for air, according to the New York Times. She was then sent back to the hospice and ended up dying two days later. The care home was charged $10,000 for the negligence and wrongful declaration of her passing. 

Addressing the fiasco, Lisa Eastman, the executive director of the special care center, said that the staff is mindful of their duties and always makes sure to provide the best palliative care. “All of our employees are given regular training in how best to support end-of-life care and the death transition for our residents,” Eastman said, according to the Associated Press.