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Woman Declared Dead Wakes in Morgue Freezer
22 Nov
Summary
- An 80-year-old woman was declared dead but later found alive in a morgue freezer.
- She was allegedly placed in the freezer suffering from cardiac arrest, then woke up.
- The hospital faces a lawsuit alleging she died from extreme cold after being frozen alive.
A deeply disturbing incident unfolded in Los Angeles, where an 80-year-old woman, Maria de Jesus Arroyo, was pronounced dead by hospital staff following a cardiac arrest in July 2010. She was subsequently placed in a refrigerated morgue, but horrifyingly, mortuary staff later found her alive in a partially unzipped body bag.
An independent pathologist concluded that Maria had indeed been alive when placed in the freezer. The injuries sustained to her face and her position were consistent with her waking up to the extreme cold and struggling to escape the bag. Her family has pursued legal action against the hospital, alleging medical malpractice and wrongful death.
The hospital has consistently denied any misconduct, asserting that all protocols were followed. While an initial lawsuit was dismissed, an appeals court reinstated the case, allowing the family's claim to proceed. The court determined the family had no reason to suspect she was alive until the morticians' discovery.
