In a shocking incident that took place in 1915 in South Carolina, Essie Dunbar was pronounced dead after suffering an epileptic episode.
However, as her coffin was being lowered into the ground, her sister asked for one last goodbye.
The ministers agreed to dig up the coffin, and to everyone’s surprise, Essie sat up and smiled. The shock was so intense that three ministers fell backward into the grave, with one suffering three broken ribs after the others landed on him.
Essie’s sister believed her to be a ghost and fled in fear along with other mourners as Essie clambered out of the ground.
For many years after the incident, Essie was viewed with suspicion by members of the community, who believed she was a zombie back from the dead.
However, in later life, she became a popular local personality as her unlikely story of resurrection was told across the globe. She lived for another 47 years until her second and final death in 1955.
The incident is reminiscent of a recent case in Brazil, where a woman was believed to have been buried alive by mistake. Rosangela Almeida dos Santos was reportedly conscious for 11 days inside her coffin as she tried to get out.
Her body showed wrist injuries when it was eventually exhumed, and blood was found inside the coffin. People living near the cemetery alerted her family 11 days after she was buried when they heard screams and bangs from inside the tomb.
