A few years ago, SpanÂish prison authorÂiÂties were rather bewilÂdered after a prisÂonÂer who had been proÂnounced dead by three sepÂaÂrate docÂtors woke up in the morgue â just hours before his own autopÂsy was to begin.
The prisÂonÂer, GonÂzaÂlo MonÂtoya JimĂ©nez, then 29, was found unconÂscious in his cell durÂing a mornÂing roll call on JanÂuÂary 7, 2018 and had been transÂferred to a hosÂpiÂtal morgue in a body bag when patholÂoÂgists heard someÂthing strange.
SnorÂing. ComÂing from inside the bag.
JimĂ©nez, who was servÂing a senÂtence for theft in the maxÂiÂmum secuÂriÂty wing of the CenÂtral PenÂiÂtenÂtiary in Asturias, northÂwestÂern Spain, was iniÂtialÂly treatÂed by two docÂtors on duty in the prison, after being found sat unconÂscious on a chair in his cell, with no signs of the abuse being evident.
DetectÂing no vital signs, docÂtors proÂnounced him dead and an hour latÂer a medÂical examÂinÂer inspectÂed the body, conÂfirmed iniÂtial assessÂments and issued a third death report.
It wasÂnât until latÂer at the morgue that the docÂtors realÂized someÂthing was seriÂousÂly wrong.
By this point, JimĂ©nez had already spent time in a cold room to help preÂserve his body, and his skin had been scarred with scalpel guideÂlines in prepaÂraÂtion for his impendÂing autopÂsy â at which point the misÂtakÂen corpse sudÂdenÂly stirred. .
âThe medÂical examÂinÂers began to hear noisÂes comÂing from inside the bag. MonÂtoya was not dead. Quite the conÂtrary,â reportÂed El Español at the time.
âThe medÂical examÂinÂer [patholÂoÂgist] opened the bag and found the inmate still alive.â
JimĂ©nez was then transÂferred under guard in an ambuÂlance to anothÂer hosÂpiÂtal to recovÂer from his mysÂteÂriÂous episode, and was evenÂtuÂalÂly reportÂed to be in staÂble conÂdiÂtion â but as to how the conÂfuÂsion could have arisen in the first place, the prison authorÂiÂties apparÂentÂly had no idea.
âI canÂnot comÂment on what hapÂpened at the InstiÂtute of ForenÂsic MedÂiÂcine,â a spokesperÂson for the SpanÂish prison serÂvice told the media, âbut three docÂtors saw clinÂiÂcal signs of death, so it is not known. still not sure exactÂly why this happened.â
The day before JimĂ©nez was found âdeadâ, he comÂplained of feelÂing unwell and, although it was unclear what caused his conÂdiÂtion, offiÂcials described his body as showÂing signs cyanosis â a purÂplish disÂcolÂoration of the skin caused by poor cirÂcuÂlaÂtion or lack of oxyÂgen â in addiÂtion to rigÂor mortis.
HosÂpiÂtal offiÂcials told SpanÂish media that the fake fatalÂiÂty could be a case of catalepÂsy, in which the body goes into a trance or conÂvulÂsive state, exhibitÂing loss of conÂsciousÂness and senÂsaÂtion, as well as rigidÂiÂty. physical.
It is unclear how JimĂ©nez became catalepÂtic, although the prisÂonÂer sufÂfered from epilepÂsy and took medÂicaÂtion for the conÂdiÂtion â but his famÂiÂly say it was not always easy for JimĂ©nez to stick to his schedÂule drugs in cusÂtody, so it might have had someÂthing to do with it.
In hosÂpiÂtal, it took 24 hours before JimĂ©nez regained conÂsciousÂness in intenÂsive care and startÂed talkÂing, which docÂtors said was a good sign.
When the âdeadâ woke up, he asked if he could see his wife.
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