Woman, 88, Reportedly Recovering After Nearly Being Buried Alive

The incident, which occurred in Pilsen, Czech Republic, as a result of a coroner's alleged mistake, took international news by storm and is currently under investigation.

On Friday morning, May 30, an elderly man found his wife—who had been quite ill—lying in bed and suddenly noticed she wasn't breathing. He assumed the worst, and immediately dialed emergency services. A coroner arrived on the scene shortly thereafter.

The coroner confirmed the 88-year-old woman had, indeed, passed away and left. Soon, the undertakers arrived to prepare her body for the funeral.

But as they lifted her into the coffin, they realized she was still alive. An ambulance was called and the woman—in critical condition but still breathing—was taken to the hospital. "She's lying there now. It's serious. I'm completely unhappy about it," her husband told Nedělní Blesk.

A spokeswoman for the Pilsen police, Michaela Raindlová, said they were investigating whether the coroner made a mistake. "We are investigating all the circumstances. The legal qualification has not yet been determined and we have not yet initiated criminal proceedings," she stated.

The 1st Coroner's Society, from which the coroner in question was dispatched, also released a statement, expressing "deep regret" about the incident. "Investigations are underway and personnel measures have been taken," the company said.