Woman declared dead at a care home found breathing at a funeral home

The incident occurred in Nebraska, USA. The death of a 74-year-old woman was initially declared at the care home. Her body was then transported to the funeral home. There, the employees discovered that the American woman was still breathing.

An unusual incident occurred Monday at a funeral home in Waverly, near Lincoln. The employees of the establishment noticed that the 74-year-old woman, previously declared dead, was still breathing. They immediately called the emergency number and began CPR to save her life.

According to the BBC, about two hours before this incident, the staff of a nearby care home declared the death of Constance Glantz. The woman was then transported to the funeral home. However, discovering she was still alive prompted the employees to react immediately.

The police are conducting an investigation. They are trying to clarify all the circumstances. So far, no evidence has been found indicating any criminal intent on the part of the care home staff. The investigators are focusing on determining whether negligence or a procedural error occurred, which could explain why Constance Glantz was incorrectly declared dead.

A physician had seen her in the last seven days, and the physician was willing to sign the death certificate, and... there was nothing suspicious at the time of the death," revealed Deputy Chief Ben Houchin from the Lancaster County sheriff's office, as quoted by the BBC.

The woman's current health status is unknown. Houchin confirmed that the woman's family was immediately notified of the situation.

Constance Glantz is not the only person to have been incorrectly declared dead. According to the BBC, in June of last year, 76-year-old Bella Montoya from Ecuador was declared dead due to a suspected stroke. She was placed in a coffin and taken to a funeral home for a vigil before the burial.

After five hours, during the opening of the coffin for a change of clothing, it was discovered that she was still alive. Unfortunately, Bella Montoya died a few days later.

Dr Stephen Hughes, a senior lecturer in medicine at Anglia Ruskin University Medical School in Chelmsford, explained that such cases are rare, but "death is a process". He noted that, for instance, some medications can slow down body processes, creating the false impression that someone has died.