Two man seen assisting the woman in the coffin.

Gulf Today Report

In an incident that shocked Ecuador, people who were sitting during a funeral ceremony heard a woman suddenly breathe from inside the casket the day after her death was announced, according to what was narrated by the son of the woman.

The local media described by the incident “returning from death.”

A video posted on Twitter shows Bella Montoya, 76, in an open coffin, breathing heavily, surrounded by two men who came to her aid.

Her son Gilbert Balberán said in another video clip published by local media that his mother was hitting the sides of the coffin with her left hand and her hand was trembling.

The local press published the details of this story, which it likened to "the resurrection from the dead."

"My mother is on artificial respiration, her heart is stable...the doctor pressed her hand and she interacted with him," Balberán added.

Montoya's death was announced on Friday at a public hospital in Babahoyo, a coastal city in the southwest of the country.

According to the Ministry of Health, Montoya was admitted to hospital on suspicion of having a stroke, and “suffered from cardiac and respiratory arrest without responding to resuscitation attempts, after which the duty doctor confirmed her death.”

The ministry added in a statement that a technical committee was tasked with "analyzing this case in depth" and conducting a "medical audit to determine responsibility" for the erroneous death certificate.

“I am slowly recovering from what happened,” Balberán said.

“Now all I ask is that my mother's health improve. I want her to be alive and by my side.”