Woman Declared Dead Found Alive at Funeral Home

In a startling and unusual incident in the United States, a 74-year-old woman who was initially pronounced dead at a nursing home was later discovered to be alive at a funeral home. Authorities have confirmed that Constance Glantz, declared dead by nursing home staff, was found breathing at a funeral home in Waverly, near Lincoln, about two hours later.

An emergency call was made on Monday by the funeral home staff when they noticed that Ms. Glantz was still breathing and immediately performed CPR. She was then transported to a local hospital for further medical attention.

The Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office is currently investigating the incident but has stated that there is no evidence of criminal intent by the nursing home. Chief Deputy Ben Houchin commented on the case during a press briefing broadcast via livestream, expressing his surprise: “This is a very unusual case. Been doing this 31 years, and nothing like this has ever gotten to this point before.”

Mr. Houchin explained that a coroner was not sent to the nursing home since Ms. Glantz was in hospice care, and her death was anticipated. Additionally, a physician had seen her within the last seven days and was prepared to sign the death certificate, as there was nothing suspicious at the time.

The current condition of Ms. Glantz remains unknown, but her family has been informed of the situation.

This incident is not isolated. In June last year, 76-year-old Bella Montoya in Ecuador was declared dead following a suspected stroke but was found alive hours later in a coffin at a funeral parlour. Similarly, in 2018, a South African woman was discovered alive in a mortuary fridge after being declared dead following a road accident.

Dr. Stephen Hughes, a senior lecturer in medicine at Anglia Ruskin University’s School of Medicine, emphasized the complexity of determining death. “Death is a process,” he said. “Sometimes somebody may look like they’re dead but they’re not quite dead. Careful examination is necessary.”

Dr. Hughes added that medical professionals often look for heart sounds or breathing effort for at least a minute before declaring someone dead and noted that certain drugs could slow down body processes, potentially leading to a false appearance of death.

The investigation into the incident continues as authorities seek to understand how such a significant error occurred.