Dead Man Wakes Up In Funeral Home, Starts Kicking Body Bag

A dead man wakes up in a Mississippi funeral home, giving workers there a fright and making nationwide headlines.

The strange case happened in Mississippi, where 78-year-old Walter Williams of Lexington appeared to family members to pass away on Wednesday night. He had no signs of life, and when a coroner came to the house at 9 pm Williams was officially declared dead.

“I stood there and watched them put him in a body bag and zipped it up,” Williams’ nephew, Eddie Hester, told ABC affiliate WAPT.

Williams’ body was taken to Porter and Sons Funeral Home, where workers were preparing to embalm his body when something strange happens — the dead man wakes up. Walter Williams started kicked the inside of his body bag, giving funeral home manager Byron Porter quite a scare.

“He was not dead, long story short,” Porter said.

Williams was taken to a nearby hospital, where he again showed signs of life.

“It was a miraculous moment,” said Holmes County coroner Dexter Howard. “Never in my life have I seen anything like it.”

Howard thinks that Williams’ pacemaker may have malfunctioned, and when it started back up Williams was revived.

Family members say they don’t care what made the dead man wake up, they’re just happy to have him back.

“I don’t know how long he is going to be here but I know he is back [with us] right now and that’s all that matters,” said Hester.

The case of the dead man who wakes up isn’t the first time someone has returned from the brink of death. In Canada last year, a woman gave birth to a baby outside in sub-freezing temperatures. The baby was rushed to the hospital but declared dead, but just before the coroner picked up the body police officers noticed signs of life. The newborn ended up making a full recovery.