A woman who was declared dead at a nursing home in Nebraska was discovered to be alive after she arrived at a nearby funeral home on Monday, according to local law enforcement.
The incident involved a 74-year-old resident of The Mulberry at Waverly nursing home in Waverly, Nebraska, who was pronounced dead at 9:44 a.m. local time on Monday and then transported to the Butherus-Maser & Love Funeral Home in Lincoln.
Upon arrival in Lincoln, approximately 15 miles away, an employee preparing her body noticed signs of life. Lincoln Fire and Rescue responded to a 911 call at 11:43 a.m. and took her to a hospital.
As of Monday afternoon, she was still alive, according to officials from the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office.
The woman had been under hospice care and was seen by a doctor who signed her death certificate on Monday.
“This is a very unusual case,” said Lancaster County Sheriff Chief Deputy Ben Houchin at a press conference on Monday. “I’ve been doing this for 31 years, and nothing like this has ever gotten to this point before.”
The incident is currently under investigation by the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office, although investigators do not suspect criminal intent at this time.
There have been no statements from the funeral home yet.