In an incident that blurred the lines between tragedy and miracle, a 78-year-old farmer declared dead by medical staff shocked the world by waking up inside a body bag at a funeral home.
The Astonishing Awakening
Walter Williams, a grandfather of fifteen from Lexington, Mississippi, became the centre of a global news story in February 2014. Suffering from congestive heart failure, he had been admitted to a hospice. On the evening of 27 February 2014, medical staff, including a coroner and nurses, checked his pulse and found no heartbeat. He was pronounced dead around 9pm.
His body was transported to the Porter and Sons Funeral Home. However, as embalmers prepared to begin the preservation process, they noticed movement inside the body bag. Holmes County Coroner Dexter Howard recounted the moment to CNN: "We got him into the embalming room, and we noticed his legs beginning to move, like kicking. He also began to do a little breathing." Emergency services were immediately called to rush Walter to hospital.
A Family's Rollercoaster of Emotions
The Williams family experienced profound shock and elation. His nephew, Eddie Hester, had witnessed Walter being placed in the body bag and zipped up at 10:30pm. He received a call hours later from a cousin who simply said, "Daddy still here." Coroner Dexter Howard noted the family were "just in a state of shock" but rejoicing at the news.
Walter's daughter, Martha Lewis, shared her joy: "Seemed like he had more life in him again... Hallelujah, thank you, Jesus. It was not my daddy's time." Medical professionals suggested a combination of medications or a faulty pacemaker may have caused his vital signs to disappear so completely.
A Bittersweet Conclusion
Tragically, this medical miracle was short-lived. Barely fifteen days after his incredible awakening captured worldwide attention, Walter Williams, known affectionately as 'Snowball', passed away at his home. He died of natural causes at 4:15am on 14 March 2014.
Reflecting on the extraordinary episode, his nephew Eddie called it a "two week miracle," stating, "I enjoyed every minute of it and my family did too." Coroner Dexter Howard, with over two decades of experience, said he had never seen anything like it, concluding simply: "That miracles can happen."
