South African man thought to be dead wakes after 21 hours in morgue fridge | World news | The Guardian

South African man thought to be dead wakes after 21 hours in morgue fridge | World news | The Guardian:

• Associated Press
• guardian.co.uk, Monday 25 July 2011 19.35 BST
• Article history

The man was believed to have died following an asthma attack. Photograph: Picture Partners/Alamy

A man woke up to find himself in a morgue fridge nearly a day after his family thought he had died, a South African health official said.

Health department spokesman Sizwe Kupelo said that the man, aged 50, awoke on Sunday afternoon, 21 hours after his family called in an undertaker who sent him to the morgue after an asthma attack.

Morgue owner Ayanda Maqolo said he sent his driver to collect the body shortly after the family reported the death.

"When he got there, the driver examined the body, checked his pulse, looked for a heartbeat, but there was nothing," Maqolo said.

But a day after staff put the body into a locked refrigerated compartment, morgue workers heard someone shouting for help. They thought it was a ghost, the morgue owner said.

"I couldn't believe it!" Maqolo said. "I was also scared. But they are my employees and I had to show them I wasn't scared, so I called the police."

After police arrived, the group entered the morgue together.

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