Earlier in June, an Ecuadorian woman surprised guests by waking up in her coffin and knocking on it to alert them of her presence; on Friday (June 16), she died after a week in intensive care.
On June 16, Montoya died of an ischemic stroke, according to Ecuador’s Health Ministry.
The ministry added that the 76-year-old remained under “permanent surveillance” but did not provide further information about the investigation into the incident.
A week earlier, on June 9, doctors pronounced Bella Montoya, a 76-year-old retired nurse, dead claiming the cause of death was cardiopulmonary arrest after suffering a stroke.
Ecuador’s Health Ministry revealed Montoya had not responded to efforts to resuscitate her.
Her family had gathered at the funeral home for a wake hours after the retired nurse was first taken to the hospital by her son, Gilberto Barbers.
But the mourning stopped when they heard a voice from inside the coffin.
According to reporting by the Associated Press, Barbera shared that they had heard a sound that gave everyone attending the wake a “fright.”
He explained that although his mother was taken back to the hospital, her condition was still critical.
On Saturday (June 17) morning, Barbera informed the media that doctors at the hospital where she was taken after she woke up in her coffin confirmed that Montoya had died on Friday night.
Barbera also said he had not received an explanation of what happened and warned that things “are not going to stay like this.”
He said Montoya’s sister had filed a formal complaint about the incident and wanted details about the doctor who pronounced Montoya dead.
Montoya’s remains were returned to the same undertaker where she had previously regained consciousness and would be buried in a public cemetery.
