In an incident that sounds more like a plot from a horror film than real life, a man from Cornwall experienced every patient's worst nightmare after being mistakenly pronounced dead by emergency services.
Seventy-year-old Brian Hockaday's ordinary morning took a terrifying turn when he suffered a severe fall at his St Just home. Paramedics arrived on the scene and, after an assessment, made the unthinkable error of declaring him deceased.
The Chilling Journey to the Mortuary
What followed was a seven-hour ordeal that would haunt anyone. Believed to be dead, Mr Hockaday was transported to the hospital mortuary and left inside a body bag.
"It's the stuff of nightmares," a family member later stated. "To think he was lying there, in the cold, completely conscious but unable to move or call for help."
A Groan That Changed Everything
The miracle occurred when a mortuary attendant noticed something was amiss. Instead of silence, a faint groan emerged from the body bag. Upon investigation, they made the shocking discovery that Mr Hockaday was not only alive but conscious.
He was immediately rushed for medical treatment. The South Western Ambulance Service has since issued a formal apology, admitting their crew "incorrectly" pronounced him dead, a failure that nearly cost a man his life.
A Family's Anger and a Search for Answers
The Hockaday family are rightfully demanding answers. How could trained medical professionals make such a catastrophic mistake? The case has raised serious questions about protocols for verifying death outside of a hospital setting.
This bewildering case serves as a stark reminder of the fragility of life and the critical importance of thorough medical assessment. For Brian Hockaday, it was a second chance he was never supposed to have.
