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Undertakers find 80-year-old man declared dead still alive

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Elderly man. (Photo: CEN/MAGAZINEFEATURES.CO.ZA)
Elderly man. (Photo: CEN/MAGAZINEFEATURES.CO.ZA)

Relatives of an 80-year-old man have claimed he was still alive when the funeral company came to take away his body after being certified dead by the clinic.

The elderly man, who’s said to have had breathing problems, had reportedly spent his final days hospitalised in a clinic in Ponedera, Colombia.

His death was confirmed, and the man’s family was issued with his death certificate, according to reports.

“We were told he’d died of natural causes and we were given the death certificate. His corpse was left in a body bag at the clinic,” his daughter, whose name is not known, said.

The family returned home to Ponedera at around 3pm and called the funeral home to collect the body.

“When the undertakers arrived, they called to tell us he was still alive. We immediately called the hospital and the paramedics told us he was still alive.

“Several doctors checked him and told us the same. He was still alive.

“We went there and saw that he had his eyes open and was moving his hands, he was still warm,” she said.

“When I touched him, he cried, opened his eyes and closed them. He then opened his eyes again and I told my family, ‘Uncle is still alive’,” his niece, Luzneira Gutierrez, added.

According to reports, the elderly man later died at around 6.30pm.

Elderly man

The clinic that allegedly issued his premature death certificate has yet to comment on the matter officially but has promised to issue a press release soon.

It’s unclear whether the family plans to take legal action against the clinic or if the local authorities are investigating the incident.

Source: Magazine Features

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