An elderly Polish woman is recovering at home after she woke up in a body bag at a morgue after being declared dead by her family doctor. Janina Kolkiewicz, 91, spent 11 hours in cold storage before staff spotted her moving.
Kolkiewicz's family said they were "in shock" after their aunt, who is in the late stages of dementia, turned out to be alive. After returning home she warmed up with a bowl of soup and two pancakes and seemed none the worse for her adventure.
The BBC quotes a Polish newspaper, Dziennik Wschodni, as saying preparations had been made for Kolkiewicz's funeral in the town of Ostrow Lubelski. The police have now launched an investigation into the incident.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Kolkiewicz's niece, Bogumila, had called her family doctor after she returned home to find her aunt did not seem to be breathing or have a pulse. Dr Wieslawa Czyz declared her dead and wrote out a death certificate. She was then taken to the morgue.
Speaking to a Polish TV station, Czyz said: "I was sure she was dead. I'm stunned. I don't understand what happened. Her heart had stopped beating, she was no longer breathing."
The death certificate has now been declared invalid. Kolkiewicz told her family she felt "normal, fine" on her return and is not thought to understand what happened to her.
Earlier this year, in the US, a Mississippi man, Walter Williams, also came 'back from the dead' in a body bag at a funeral home where workers were preparing to embalm him. They noticed his legs starting to kick - he then began breathing again.
Doctors said the combination of medicines Williams was taking could have caused him to appear dead. The 78-year-old died of natural causes just 15 days later, says The Independent.
-
The 8 best dark comedies of the 21st centuryFrom Santa Claus to suicide terrorism, these movies skewered big, taboo subjects
-
France’s ‘red hands’ trial highlights alleged Russian disruption operationsUNDER THE RADAR Attacks on religious and cultural institutions around France have authorities worried about Moscow’s effort to sow chaos in one of Europe’s political centers
-
Codeword: October 30, 2025The Week's daily codeword puzzle
-
Sanae Takaichi: Japan’s Iron Lady set to be the country’s first woman prime ministerIn the Spotlight Takaichi is a member of Japan’s conservative, nationalist Liberal Democratic Party
-
Russia is ‘helping China’ prepare for an invasion of TaiwanIn the Spotlight Russia is reportedly allowing China access to military training
-
Interpol arrests hundreds in Africa-wide sextortion crackdownIN THE SPOTLIGHT A series of stings disrupts major cybercrime operations as law enforcement estimates millions in losses from schemes designed to prey on lonely users
-
China is silently expanding its influence in American citiesUnder the Radar New York City and San Francisco, among others, have reportedly been targeted
-
How China uses 'dark fleets' to circumvent trade sanctionsThe Explainer The fleets are used to smuggle goods like oil and fish
-
One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024
-
What happens if tensions between India and Pakistan boil over?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As the two nuclear-armed neighbors rattle their sabers in the wake of a terrorist attack on the contested Kashmir region, experts worry that the worst might be yet to come
-
Why Russia removed the Taliban's terrorist designationThe Explainer Russia had designated the Taliban as a terrorist group over 20 years ago
