A 15-year-old girl in Guatemala woke up inside her coffin after her family mistakenly believed she had died.
Yuleidy Ixcotoyac had reportedly been unresponsive for several hours before waking during her own wake in the village of El Jocote in Sacapulas, Quiché, on Saturday (10 Oct).
She was not examined or declared dead by a medical professional.
According to Yuleidy, she began experiencing severe chest pain before losing consciousness.
“My heart started hurting terribly; it felt heavy, and I just went, like I fainted,” she recounted.
Her father, Abraham Ixcotoyac, said he was taking her to a hospital when he could no longer detect her breathing or pulse.
Believing that his daughter had died, he turned the vehicle around and returned home instead of continuing to the hospital.
Source: @AlertaMundoNews on X
The family subsequently obtained a coffin and began making funeral arrangements.
Yuleidy remained unresponsive for several hours, with reports indicating that she spent around eight hours inside the coffin.
During the wake, family members noticed Yuleidy beginning to move inside the coffin.
Her mother reportedly insisted that her daughter was still alive, prompting mourners to help the teenager sit up and get out of the coffin.
Videos circulating online showed people surrounding Yuleidy as she regained consciousness and was given water.
Source: @AlertaMundoNews on X
Her father recalled being alerted by another attendee that his daughter had woken up.
The incident subsequently drew criticism online and across regional media, with people pointing out that she was never certified dead by a medical professional.
Source: @AlertaMundoNews on X
Authorities are working to determine how the events transpired and what led the family to believe that the teenager had died.
No medical report from health authorities has been released yet to explain the cause of her collapse or what happened in the hours that followed.
Also read: Man in India declared brain dead after car accident, wakes up during his funeral
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image adapted from @AlertaMundoNews on X.