Declared Dead, Then Miraculously Alive: Elderly Woman Stuns Funeral Staff in Palma

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An elderly woman in Palma, Majorca, declared dead after a severe health decline, was found alive while being transported to her funeral. Staff at the Son Valenti funeral parlour were shocked to detect a pulse and finger movement, prompting paramedics to confirm her survival and rush her back to Juan March de Bunyola Hospital.

Her current medical condition remains undisclosed as authorities launch an internal investigation into how she was mistakenly pronounced dead. This rare event echoes a February 2024 case in Guatemala, where a woman declared dead due to severe malnutrition and lack of brain activity suddenly moved inside a body bag after five hours in the morgue, leading to her readmission to emergency care.

Despite efforts to revive her, the Guatemalan woman was declared dead again, with the hospital offering condolences to her family amid a difficult time. Hospital officials noted her critical state on admission, citing severe malnutrition, seizures, and cerebral palsy, and confirmed death after 30 minutes of medical intervention.

In Texas, a similar incident occurred when 16-year-old Sammy Berko was declared dead following cardiac arrest at a rock climbing facility but survived after two hours of CPR. Doctors described his survival as a “literal miracle,” while his mother recounted the harrowing moment he went limp and then unexpectedly showed signs of life during prayer.

Another case from June 2024 involved 76-year-old Bella Montoya Castro in Quito, Ecuador, who was declared dead but awoke during her funeral. Her son reported that friends placing flowers on her coffin heard sounds coming from inside, revealing Bella was alive.
Such incidents, though exceedingly rare, highlight challenges in accurately determining death, especially in cases involving critical illness or severe malnutrition. According to medical literature, conditions like catalepsy, hypothermia, or severe metabolic disturbances can mimic death, complicating clinical assessments and sometimes leading to premature declarations.

In the United States, the case of Constance Glantz, a 74-year-old woman declared dead in hospice care in Nebraska, further underscores this issue. She was found breathing at a funeral home, resuscitated by staff, and transported to a hospital where she later died. Authorities are investigating the unusual case, with no criminal intent found but an autopsy ordered to clarify the circumstances.

These extraordinary events have prompted calls for improved protocols in death verification, including the use of advanced technologies such as electroencephalograms (EEG) and cardiac monitoring to reduce errors. The World Health Organization recommends strict guidelines to prevent premature death declarations, emphasizing the importance of multiple confirmatory tests before pronouncing death.

While these stories evoke surprise and hope, they also serve as reminders of the complexities in end-of-life care and the need for vigilance in medical and funeral practices to ensure dignity and accuracy in death certification.