Elderly Woman Found Breathing at Funeral Home After She Was Pronounced Dead

Her body was next to take residency in the funeral, until the company realized there was a mistake.

An 82-year-old woman who was pronounced dead in Long Island, New York, turned out to be very much alive after she was transported to the local funeral home.

According to CNN, the woman was reported as dead on Saturday morning at 11:15 a.m. at the Water’s Edge Rehab and Nursing Center in Port Jefferson. Suffolk County police said the elder was found breathing at around 2:09 p.m. after she had already been transported at 1:30 p.m. to the O.B. Davis Funeral Home, a nearby location in Miller Place.

Reportedly, the woman, who remains unidentified as Suffolk County police and the New York State Department of Health are investigating the case, was transported to a hospital following the discovery.

“This is an awful situation that caused unnecessary trauma for the impacted resident and her loved ones,” the attorney general’s office wrote in an email. The statement included that the office was still in the process of assessing the incident.

“Out of respect for the privacy and confidentiality of the families we are honored to serve, we are not in a position to comment further on this matter,” the funeral home said in a statement addressing the matter.

CBS News reported a similar incident where an unidentified resident at the Glen Oaks Alzheimer’s Special Care Center was mistakenly pronounced dead on Jan. 3, after a staff member said they couldn’t find a pulse.

After being transported to a funeral home and zipped up into a body bag, Ankeny Funeral Home and Crematory employees, was greeted with a body with a moving chest who let out a gasp of air when they unzipped the bag.

The resident was examined by Emergency Medical Services and later returned to the care facility, where she officially passed away early in the morning of Jan. 5.

Reportedly, the facility was hit with two state violations from the DIA, and a predicted $10,000 fine.