82-year-old woman pronounced dead found alive, breathing hours later at NY funeral home, police say

PORT JEFFERSON, Long Island — A New York funeral home was shocked Saturday after an elderly woman who was pronounced dead was found alive.

Police say an 82-year-old woman was pronounced dead at a rehab and nursing center in Port Jefferson.

She was transported to a funeral home in Miller Place a little more than two hours later. About a half an hour later, the woman was breathing, according to police.

Emergency responders brought her to a local hospital after the incident.

Officials say it’s unclear if human error played a role or if it was a miraculous recovery. The incident is being referred to the New York State Attorney General’s office.

News of this came on the heels of a similar incident in Iowa. Employees at a hospice care facility mistakenly pronounced a woman dead, only for her to be gasping for air in the body bag that arrived at the funeral home.