Dead man 'comes back to life at funeral home after staff notice he was breathing and moving

Wednesday, May 20, 2026 - A Brazilian man came back to life after a funeral home realised he was still breathing as they prepared his body for his wake.  

Juraci Rosa Alves was admitted to a hospital on May 16, where a doctor declared him d£ad due to respiratory failure. 

A funeral home was then called and Alves, 88, was transported there for standard post-d£ath procedures. 

But while staff were preparing the body for the wake, they detected signs of life.

Jacqueline Brogiato, the funeral home's technical nursing supervisor, told local media: "Our funeral staff carried out the transfer as a standard procedure. 

"When they arrived at the laboratory and placed him on the table, they noticed unusual movement in the abdomen and were unsure whether it was breathing. 

"At first, when we realised there were vital signs, our only thought was to save him. 

"So I carried out the initial care, trying to clear his airway until emergency services arrived. 

"Everything happened very quickly – when they arrived, the doctor immediately began sedating and intubating him so he could be taken to the healthcare facility." 

Alves was rushed to a hospital in Presidente Prudente, Brazil, where he remained as of the latest update on May 18. 

A relative told local media: "My aunt had gone home to prepare the paperwork and the clothes my grandad was going to wear for the wake. 

"When they arrived there, my aunt and my cousin thought the delay seemed strange. 

"Then my cousin was told he had been taken to the funeral home to prepare the body and, once there, the funeral home staff noticed vital signs – he was breathing and moving." 

Police were informed and have registered the case as "failure to provide assistance". 

They have not released the name of the doctor who declared Alves d£ad. 

Alves, a resident of Emilianópolis, remains intubated in the ICU in a serious but stable condition. 

His family's lawyer, Carlos Alberto Carneiro, told local media: "According to the hospital currently treating Mr Juraci, the situation may have worsened his condition due to his age and the amount of time he spent without proper care and treatment." 

The original hospital in Presidente Bernardes has said it will open an internal inquiry into the incident and is "available to provide any necessary clarification".