After an 82-year-old woman appeared to have died at Water’s Edge Rehab and Nursing Center in Port Jefferson, New York, she was transported to a nearby funeral home. Three hours later, she was alive and breathing.
According to the police That reports CNNThe unnamed woman was taken to hospital.
Naturally, this led to investigations by the health department and police. CNN reports that the Suffolk County Police Department and the New York State Department of Health are investigating the matter. The health ministry said it could not comment further as the investigation is ongoing.
Police also reportedly said the matter had been brought to the attention of the New York State Attorney General’s Office, which a spokesman said was investigating the matter. The AG’s office told CNN that this is “a terrible situation that caused unnecessary trauma to the affected resident and her loved ones.”
The woman was found alive at OB Davis Funeral Home in Miller Place, NY. The home told WABC that in order to “respect the privacy and confidentiality of the families we serve, we are not in a position to comment further on this matter.”
There have been incidents in the past where people were pronounced dead and then found alive. In some cases, these incidents have been attributed to human error or misinterpretation of vital signs, while in others they are the result of medical conditions that mimic death. CNN reported less than a week ago about a woman who was found alive when an undertaker opened her body bag at an Iowa funeral home.
Now the Alzheimer’s facility where she was pronounced dead faces a $10,000 fine. The Iowa funeral home issued a nearly identical statement to the New York funeral home: “Out of respect for the privacy and confidentiality of the families we serve in honor, we are not in a position to comment further on this matter.”
