Woman found breathing in body bag hours after being declared dead

A 90-year-old woman, who was declared dead, was later found breathing in her body bag hours later.

The Sao Jose Regional Hospital, in Greater Florianopolis, pronounced Norma Silveira da Silva dead at 11.40pm on 25 November. However, when she was transferred to the crematorium, a worker was stunned to find her breathing.

It was then Norma was immediately taken back to the hospital, where she sadly died with an 'infection' written down as the cause of death.

Authorities are now investigating the horrific incident, with claims Norma's family will be suing the hospital.

"On Saturday afternoon, I went to visit her and she opened her eye," caregiver Jessica Martins Silvi Pereira said.

"She didn't have much stimulation, but she managed to open her eye and saw that we were there."

Jessica explained how the crematorium found Norma "breathing very weakly" when opening the body bag.

"And, as she was no longer conscious, she couldn't ask for help, she tried to breathe and couldn't," she continued.

"I mean, from 11:40 pm until 1:30 am she was inside the bag almost dying asphyxiated."

While it's unclear whether the body bag affected her health, Brazil's Medical Ethics Committee and the Death Commission will be looking into the tragedy.

The Regional Council of Medicine of the State of Santa Catarina said that it "was aware of the situation and will institute appropriate procedures to monitor the case."

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