Girl, 2, wakes up at own funeral

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines  – A two-year-old girl who was pronounced clinically dead woke up at her funeral on Sunday in Aurora, Zamboanga del Sur, police reported yesterday. 

Aurora police chief Senior Inspector Heidil Teelan confirmed the incident, citing reports from his men dispatched to verify the case in Barangay Bayabas.

Teelan refused to name the girl and her family to protect their privacy.

A video footage uploaded on a social networking site showed the parents of the girl removing her from her coffin at church where the funeral service was being held.

The girl’s parents said they brought the child to a local clinic last Friday as she had been suffering from fever.

“On Saturday morning, a clinic personnel and a physician pronounced the girl clinically dead as she has no more pulse,” Teelan said.

He said the family brought the girl home and prepared her for burial.

According to Teelan, one of the neighbors who removed the cover of the coffin to fix the girl’s remains saw her head move.

“This prompted them to check and confirmed the girl was alive,” he said.

The girl’s parents gave her water to drink and brought her back to the clinic before bringing her home.