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'Dead' woman found to be breathing at Detroit funeral home

The fire department in Southfield says first responders spent 30 minutes on Sunday trying to revive the 20-year-old and determined there was no sign of life.
Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

A young woman was discovered to be alive after she had been declared dead and taken to a Detroit funeral home, officials said.

The Southfield fire department said paramedics tried to revive the 20-year-old woman for 30 minutes Sunday.

"Given medical readings and the condition of the patient, it was determined at that time that she did not have signs of life," the department said.

"The Oakland County medical examiner's office was contacted and given the medical data," the department said. "The patient was again determined to have expired and the body was released directly to the family to make arrangements with a funeral home of their choosing."

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But then came a startling discovery at James H. Cole funeral home: The woman was alive.

"Our staff confirmed she was breathing" and called a Detroit emergency medical crew, the funeral home said.

The woman was taken to a hospital, WDIV-TV and The Detroit News reported. No other information on the location, her name or current condition was immediately available Monday.

"We couldn't believe it," said Dave Fornell, deputy commissioner of the Detroit fire department, who added that her heart rate was 80.

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