Man wakes up in body bag after being declared dead
A Spanish prisoner has taken the meaning of a near death experience to a whole new level when he woke up in a body bag after doctors pronounced him dead.
Gonzalo Montoya Jimenez, 29, was found alive by stunned forensic doctors at Villabona prison in Asturias who began hearing "snoring" and "wheezing" coming from inside his body bag.
Authorities had informed Jiménez’s family that he had passed away in his cell at around 8am after he failed to report for a morning count.
Doctors said he had complained of feeling unwell the day before, and once found in his cell had begun turning purple and suffering from rigor mortis.
He was declared dead without any suspicious circumstances and was placed in a cool room.
But after the body began moving and making noises, doctors were stunned to find the prisoner alive inside, El Espanol reported.
Jimenez's relatives revealed that he was just moments away from actual death after doctors prepared for an autopsy.
“They had already marked the body to open it with the scalpel,” relatives told Il Mattino.
The family has revealed their outrage over the incident and have alleged just one prison doctor examined Jimenez's body while the other two only signed the death certificate. All three doctors are needed to confirm a prisoner dead.
“Two prison doctors concluded he had clinical signs of death following a morning roll call and informed police, his next of kin and a local duty court as part of standard procedure,” a spokesman for the Spanish Prison Service said.
Jimenez was rushed to Oviedo hospital where he remains in intensive care.
Local media reported he could be suffering from catalepsy, a condition which slows vital signs down making it impossible to detect whether they are alive.
An investigation into the incident is ongoing.
