Girl Found Alive in Coffin Hours After Being Declared Dead

A 15-year-old girl in Guatemala was found alive in her coffin eight hours after her family declared her dead and began funeral proceedings.

Yuleidy Ixcotoyac lost consciousness on October 10 while being driven by her father to a medical center. Her father, Abraham Ixcotoyac, an evangelical pastor, stopped the car and, finding no pulse or breathing, concluded that his daughter had died. Without a doctor's examination or a death certificate, the family obtained a coffin and returned home to begin the wake.

Mourners had gathered at the family home in El Jocote, Quiché Department, when Yuleidy's mother, Lesvia Ríos, noticed movement inside the coffin. The schoolgirl then opened her eyes and sat upright, astonishing the attendees.

"I kept saying she was alive; she wasn't dead," Ríos told local media. "When I was crying on top of her casket, we opened the window and she was moving, she was waking up and suddenly she sat up."

Family members and mourners gave the teenager water and helped her out of the coffin. The incident was filmed and widely shared online.

Reflecting on the experience, Yuleidy described a severe pain in her chest before she blacked out. "My heart started hurting really badly; it felt heavy and then I blacked out, like I fainted," she explained. She added, "I have no way to thank God for everything he has done in my life. It was a miracle."

Her father reiterated that she had not reached a clinic. "I pulled over, parked my car and went to her and saw the situation that she had simply ceased to exist, she died on the way," he said. "I saw that she was no longer breathing and I couldn't feel her pulse on her wrists. It was a very difficult situation for me. She did not go to hospital."

Community members present for the funeral transitioned from grief to celebration. The family attributed the girl's recovery to divine intervention.

While Yuleidy is reported to be conscious and recovering at home, she mentioned that her hands were still trembling. Guatemalan health authorities have not yet issued any medical findings regarding the event.