Woman who came back to life after knocking her coffin at her own funeral dies after a week

A 76-year-old woman from Ecuador, Bella Montoya, who had shocked her relatives by knocking on her coffin during her own funeral and coming back to life, has been declared dead again after spending seven days in intensive care. Montoya had suddenly awakened during her funeral ceremony and began knocking from inside the coffin after spending five hours in it at a funeral parlour in Babahoyo, located around 129 miles southwest of Quito, on June 9.

The Ecuadorian health ministry reported that Montoya died from an ischaemic stroke on Friday, following a week in the intensive care unit at Martin Icaza Hospital. The ministry mentioned that the woman had been under “permanent surveillance,” but did not provide further information about the medical investigation surrounding her case.

Montoya’s son, Gilberto Barbera Montoya, stated that the authorities did not provide any reports about the incident and expressed dissatisfaction, saying that “things are not going to stay like this.” He reported that a formal complaint had been filed by Montoya’s sister, seeking information about the doctor who declared her dead. The hospital that issued the death certificate will be reviewed by a technical committee, as announced by the country’s Ministry of Health.

On June 9, Montoya fell ill and was admitted to Martin Icaza Hospital in the province of Los Rios at 9 am. She was pronounced dead at 12 pm after suffering a stroke, according to her son. Montoya spent four hours inside the casket, and her clothes were about to be changed at a funeral home when her family noticed signs of life around 8:50 pm.

Paramedics arrived at the funeral parlour, placed Montoya on a stretcher, and rushed her to Martin Icaza Hospital, where she received intensive care. Medical experts believe she was in a state of catalepsy or cataplexy, characterized by temporary loss of muscle control and possible collapse, as per NHS guidelines. The death certificate stated that Montoya died from cardiorespiratory arrest due to an unspecified cerebrovascular disease.