Estate Planning

Not So Fast...

By Hull & Hull LLP

The notion of being buried alive has no doubt been the subject of suspense thrillers and horror films past, probably because it generates the reaction movie makers want – fear. 

Well, this fictional terror almost became a reality for a 45 year-old Colombian woman recently declared dead of a heart attack. Luckily for her, she moved one of her arms just as an undertaker was about to embalm her.

The patient has multiple sclerosis, and was admitted to hospital a couple of days earlier after a heart attack.  Reportedly, she survived for several hours on life support, but then seemingly didn't respond to resuscitation efforts following a second attack.  She was declared dead not long after that.

A few hours after the pronouncement, a funeral home employee was about to inject embalming fluid into her body when he saw her move. He stopped the procedure and brought her back to the hospital to be treated.  

The reported medical opinion is that on rare occasions a person's heart rate and breathing can drop to undetectable levels, leading doctors to erroneously declare a patient dead. Pretty scary stuff!

Being buried alive would definitely be ranked up there with one of my worst nightmare scenarios.  Thankfully this woman was spared that fate! 

Don't think I'll be watching any horror flicks this weekend,   

Natalia Angelini

Full post as published by Toronto Estate Law Blog on February 26, 2010 (boomark / email).