Placed in refrigeration ahead of funeral – the next day they discovered she was still breathing

A 70-year-old woman from China, who was presumed dead and placed in a refrigerated coffin, was found alive a day later after her family heard moans from the coffin. She was rescued but ultimately died two days later. Experts explained she was in a state of 'apparent death'.

A chilling drama unfolded in a village near the city of Hangjian in Hebei Province, China: A 70-year-old woman, suffering from complications of a brain blood clot and cancer, was presumed dead by her family after they stopped noticing signs of life on the night of September 8. Due to the hot weather and waiting for relatives, she was placed in a coffin with a cooling system. The next evening, her daughter-in-law heard moans from the coffin, and the stunned family rescued her as she was alive and trying to speak. Two days later, her death was finally confirmed, and her funeral was held on September 13. Medical officials explained that the woman was in a state of 'apparent death' – a drastic drop in pulse and breathing. The case sparked a discussion in China about the dangers of independent death determination in rural areas without a doctor's examination.