In a startling turn of events, Bella Montoya, an Ecuadorean woman believed to have died, gasped for air during her wake. Bella was declared dead by a doctor in Babahoyo Hospital following a presumed stroke, and her body was subsequently prepared for a funeral.
Relatives had assembled at a funeral parlor for Bella’s vigil, anticipating her burial. The surprise came nearly five hours into the vigil when the family decided to change Bella’s clothes and found her breathing.
Reaction and Rescue
Bella’s son, Gilbert Balberán, recounted the astonishing moment: “My mum started to move her left hand, to open her eyes, her mouth; she struggled to breathe.”
An attendee managed to film the shocking scene, capturing Bella’s struggle to breathe in her open coffin. The video also captured the attendees’ distress over the delay in the ambulance’s arrival. Eventually, firefighters responded and transported Bella back to the hospital, where she had initially been pronounced dead. Bella was admitted to intensive care and showed responsiveness, a promising sign, according to her son.
The Rarity of the Occurrence
While such incidents are infrequent, there have been cases where individuals presumed dead showed signs of life. A similar incident happened in New York when an 82-year-old woman was discovered breathing in a funeral home three hours post her death declaration at a nursing home.
Dr. Stuart Hughes, a senior lecturer in medicine, clarified that while these instances are rare, death is a process that requires meticulous examination for confirmation.
Prompted by the unusual incident, the Ecuadorian health ministry has initiated an investigation. The incident highlights the complex task healthcare professionals encounter when confirming death, especially considering certain factors like body temperature and the influence of drugs that can complicate the examination.
