Jakarta, ThedailyID — A 70-year-old woman in China shocked her family after they found signs of life while she lay inside a refrigerated coffin.
The woman came from Hejian Village in Cangzhou, Hebei Province. According to Chinese outlet iFeng, she had suffered from cerebral thrombosis for more than 10 years.
Village officials also said the woman had advanced cancer. Doctors had reportedly told her family that few medical options remained.
On September 8, her family could not find any signs of life. They then believed she had died.
The family placed her inside a refrigerated coffin while waiting for distant relatives to arrive. The coffin used cooling mode rather than freezing mode.
The next day, one of her sons-in-law heard a moaning sound from inside the coffin. The family opened it and found the woman showing signs of life.
She reportedly opened her eyes on September 11. However, she remained extremely weak and could not eat or drink.
The woman later died that night. Her family buried her on September 13.
A village official said the woman may have experienced a condition resembling death. In this condition, breathing and pulse can become extremely weak.
Local media described the incident as apparent death. The term refers to a situation where extremely weak vital signs can make someone appear dead.
Doctors use several indicators when determining death. These include the absence of a carotid pulse and spontaneous breathing.
They also check for dilated pupils and signs of oxygen deprivation. An electrocardiogram can provide another important indicator.
The reports did not provide further medical examination details. Therefore, they do not establish exactly why the woman initially appeared to have no signs of life.
