Woman declared dead who suddenly knocked on her coffin during vigil died after seven days | Abroad

Gilberto Barbera Montoya told the AP news agency his mother, retired nurse Bella Montoya, was alive for nearly a week after being rushed back to the state hospital following her “resurrection.” She passed away on Friday night.

Ecuador’s Ministry of Health confirmed in a statement that Bella Montoya died of a stroke after spending a week in intensive care. It added that Montoya had remained under “permanent supervision” but gave no further information about the medical investigation surrounding the case.

Montoya had been hospitalized the previous week with a possible stroke and cardiac arrest. When she failed to respond to CPR, a doctor on duty pronounced her dead. The family then took her to a funeral home in Babahoyo and hours later stood by her coffin when suddenly strange noises came from it.

Gilberto Barbera Montoya said he has not yet received a report from the authorities on the medical explanation of the remarkable events. He warned that the family will not just leave it at that. A sister of the deceased woman has filed a formal complaint about the incident, seeking to identify the doctor who initially pronounced Bella Montoya dead.

Montoya’s body has since been returned to the same funeral home where she had previously awakened. Her son said she will be buried in a public cemetery.

A technical committee has been formed to look into how the hospital was able to issue the death certificate, the health ministry said last week. Media in Ecuador speculate that the woman had catalepsy. In addition, muscle stiffening occurs in the body and bodily functions – including breathing – and consciousness are at a reduced level. In severe cases, the symptoms can be so strong that the patient appears to have died.

REVIEW. Woman declared dead wakes up at her own funeral