'Declared Dead'... 88-Year-Old Czech Woman Wakes Up in Coffin

An incident occurred in the Czech Republic in which an 88-year-old woman who had been declared dead opened her eyes while being placed in a coffin.

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According to Czech media outlet Pravo and the UK’s Daily Mail on June 3 (local time), on May 30, in the city of Plzen, located 90 kilometers west of the capital Prague, the husband of an 88-year-old woman, identified as A, called emergency services after his wife failed to wake up from sleep.

When emergency responders arrived at the scene, they determined that A had died and, following protocol, transferred the case to the local coroner. The coroner confirmed A's death and then left the scene.

However, an unexpected situation occurred during the funeral proceedings. When undertakers attempted to place the body in the coffin, they discovered that A was breathing.

Regarding the situation at the time, foreign media reported that "various reports contain conflicting accounts." Some witnesses stated that "A opened her eyes just before being placed in the coffin," while others claimed that "workers discovered A was breathing before she was placed in the coffin."

Emergency responders were dispatched again and performed life-sustaining emergency measures at the scene before transporting A to a nearby hospital. While the hospital has not issued an official statement, citing the sensitivity of the case, it has been reported that A is currently receiving inpatient treatment and is alive.

The coroner’s company issued an official apology, stating, "We deeply regret this incident." The company added, "We have taken internal personnel measures related to the case and are currently reviewing systems in cooperation with partner organizations." The company also noted, "Out of hundreds of thousands of autopsies conducted so far, there have been three cases in which the individual was found to be alive."

Local Czech police have launched an investigation into the incident and are currently examining whether there was any procedural negligence on the part of the coroner.