Story
"Dead" man wakes up under autopsy knife
Fri 14 Sep 2007, 17:02 GMT

CARACAS (Reuters) - A Venezuelan man who had been declared dead woke up in the morgue in excruciating pain after medical examiners began their autopsy.

Carlos Camejo, 33, was declared dead after a highway accident and taken to the morgue, where examiners began an autopsy only to realize something was amiss when he started bleeding. They quickly sought to stitch up the incision on his face.

"I woke up because the pain was unbearable," Camejo said, according to a report on Friday in leading local newspaper El Universal.

His grieving wife turned up at the morgue to identify her husband's body only to find him moved into a corridor -- and alive.

Reuters could not immediately reach hospital officials to confirm the events. But Camejo showed the newspaper his facial scar and a document ordering the autopsy

http://africa.reuters.com/odd/news/usnN1499758.html

This post has been edited by DSTM: Sep 16 2007, 08:52 AM

Perhaps,

as a prerequisite to being sent to the morgue,

someone should have asked him if he was dead?

Makes me wonder how often something like this would happen, through out the World.

Shades of why people were once buried with a large bell - so they could ring out if buried in a coffin while still alive - yuck!

Just reading the article sent shivers up my back - this is one of those rare cases where, if I was a juror on his court case, I've favour one of the largest financial settlements ever made! There really is no words for what the poor guy endured!!

Pretty amazing that it could still happen nowadays. Technology being what it is.
It was fairly common years back. In fact then they used to tie a string with a bell to the deceased at burial. Hence the terms; Dead ringer, saved by the bell and graveyard shift (the person listening for bells).

Imagine the poor doc that cut into him, too! Hope he went straight out for a stiff drink after stitching the poor guy up - both are apt to have a few nightmares.

Had no idea there where the term 'dead ringer', etc stemmed from - thanks for sharing boopme - love to learn stuff!

Not to be off topic but I've also heard it said dead ringer is a reference to An exact match., Dead on match.. From horse racing. Cheaters brough in a ringer horse to fool people.

well this did happen in Valenzuela of all places. were the technology is not as much as we had in the early 1990's. but still creepy none the less.

Hmmmm. Think I'll change my Final Wishes and be embalmed prior to being cremated - 'just in case' - eep!

You should think the examiner would notice that the guy was alive when he started cutting him, considering dead people don't generally bleed all that much.

This post has been edited by Mr Alpha: Sep 17 2007, 02:23 PM