91-Year-Old Polish Woman Found Alive in Mortuary Body Bag

Basically, your worst nightmare.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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In news that will make you really glad you don't live in Poland, a 91-year-old woman was found alive in her body bag at a funeral home. The family doctor declared Janina Kolkiewicz dead at her home on November 6 in Ostrow Lubelski, in eastern Poland, after she was found not breathing.

"I checked the pulse on the forearm artery, carotid artery also," he said. "I listened to the heart, to the breathing. I also examined the pupils. There were no reflexes. Typical symptoms of death." He signed the death certificate and her family started making arrangements for her death. She was taken to a local funeral home and kept in cold storage in a body bag until she, you know, woke up eleven hours later.

The mortuary's staff were "astonished to notice movement in her body bag," and luckily got her out. Kolkiewicz's family was notified that hey, she's not dead, and took her home. She was reported as feeling totally fine after eating some soup and two pancakes. Police are investigating Dr. Wieslawa Czyz, who also said "I was sure she was dead. I'm stunned, I don't understand what happened. Her heart had stopped beating, she was no longer breathing."

Fortunately (sort of) Kolkiewicz's niece says her aunt is in late-stage dementia and doesn't remember what happened to her. Either way, maybe it's time for Dr. Czyz to retire.

[via Gawker]

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