Elderly Woman Declared Dead in Ecuador Revives at Wake

In Ecuador, a remarkable incident at a wake has caused astonishment among relatives and triggered a government investigation into a hospital. A 76-year-old woman, who had been declared dead at a hospital, surprised everyone by knocking on her coffin during the wake.

According to Scruf Tuff, Bella Montoya, a retired nurse, was rushed back to the hospital by her relatives after the startling occurrence on Friday in the city of Babahoyo. Gilberto Barbera, Montoya's son, shared that the incident frightened them all and mentioned that doctors have indicated his mother's condition remains critical.

Ecuador's Health Ministry reported that Montoya was in intensive care at the Martín Icaza Hospital in Babahoyo as of Monday, while they conduct an investigation into the doctors involved in her case. The ministry issued a statement stating that a technical committee has been formed to examine the hospital's process of issuing death certificates.

Initially, Montoya was admitted to the hospital on Friday with symptoms suggesting a stroke and cardiopulmonary arrest. When resuscitation attempts proved ineffective, a doctor on duty declared her deceased, as stated by the ministry. Barbera recounted that his mother was unconscious upon arrival at the emergency room, and a few hours later, a doctor informed him of her death, providing identity documents and a death certificate.

The family then proceeded to take Montoya to a funeral home, where they held the wake. However, they started hearing strange sounds after about five hours. Barbera said, "There were about 20 of us there. After about five hours of the wake, the coffin started to make sounds. My mom was wrapped in sheets and hitting the coffin, and when we approached, we could see that she was breathing heavily."

Immediately, they rushed her back to the hospital, but as of Monday, her condition remained serious. Barbera mentioned that she was under intubation, and the doctors did not provide much hope regarding her prognosis.

No specific details have been released regarding the doctor who prematurely declared Montoya dead.