'Dead' Woman In Ecuador Found Breathing Inside Coffin During Her Own Funeral

A video showcasing Bella Montoya, 76, lying in an open casket while breathing heavily with people standing around her has been doing rounds on social media.

A screengrab of the video showcasing the elderly woman breathing while being inside a coffin

In an unusual incident, a 76-year-old Ecuadorian woman who was declared dead a week ago was found gasping for air inside a coffin as her funeral procession was taking place. During the processions, Bella Montoya's relatives were preparing to change her clothes ahead of the burial and then they saw Montoya breathing heavily and gasping for air. Following this, she was taken to a hospital immediately and is in intensive care at the moment. The Health Ministry of South America's Ecuador has set up a committee to probe into the matter, reported the BBC.

Tracing The Chain Of Events

South America's Health Ministry issued a statement in which it said that Montoya went into cardio-respiratory arrest (A loss of breathing and heart functions) due to which she did not respond to any attempts of resuscitation. The doctor on duty confirmed her death. Her son, Gilber Rodolfo Motoya was quoted by the BBC as saying, "admitted around 09:00, and at noon a doctor told me [she] died". She was then placed in a coffin for several hours until she was seen by family members trying to breathe.

A video showcasing her lying in an open casket while breathing heavily with people standing around her has been doing rounds on social media. Her relatives stood around in shock, trying to accept that what they saw was real and not just their imagination. The video has gone viral on social media.

INSÓLITO !! La iban a velar pero estaba VIVA

Bella Montoya, mujer de la tercera edad fue dada por muerta en el hospital de Babahoyo

Se la entregaron a su hijo al medio día para que realizara el velatorio! Pero a las 18:30 se dieron cuenta que aún estaba viva.#Babahoyo… pic.twitter.com/E84hcN3nzn

— Ecuador Comunicación (@ecuadorprensaec) June 10, 2023

Paramedics arrived at the scene soon after this and moved her into an ambulance with the help of a stretcher. She has been admitted to the same hospital which earlier declared her dead. News agency AFP quoted her son as saying, "Little by little I am grasping what has happened. Now I only pray for my mother's health to improve. I want her alive and by my side."

She's undergoing treatment at the hospital and the doctors are yet to comment on the current status of her health.