An unconscious grandfather presumed dead by his family woke up yesterday in a morgue.
The frightened 50-year-old screamed to be let free after finding himself zipped up in a body bag inside a mortuary chiller.
Health officials today confirmed the asthmatic man had been taken to a private undertakers on Saturday evening after his family found him unconscious at home and assumed he was dead.
Shock: A grandfather who was presumed dead by his family woke up in a morgue 21 hours after being taken there by ambulance (file photo)
He spent 21 hours lying on a corpse trolley in the mortuary before waking up at 5pm yesterday.
Officials today launched an investigation into the bizarre incident, which happened in the town of Libode in South Africa's Eastern Cape province.
Health department spokesman Sizwe Kupelo confirmed the man had been admitted to the mortuary following a presumed asthma attack.
He said: 'The family found him not moving and totally unconscious.
'They assumed he was dead, closed his eyes and called the local undertakers.
'The mortuary sent a van round, put him inside a body bag and took him to the morgue.
'His family started making arrangements for his funeral and broke the bad news to the community.
'But the next day the man woke up.
'He was obviously very distressed when he found himself on a trolley and locked inside a fridge.
'He screamed for help and made an almighty din in the morgue.'
Mr Kupelo said two mortuary attendants were on duty and heard the man screaming as they prepared for another funeral.
The terrified pair ran out of the building into the street after assuming the bellowing was coming from a ghost.
They called for help before eventually going back into the morgue and realising the 'corpse' was still alive.
Mr Kupelo said: 'They were convinced the morgue was haunted and ran outside but eventually went back in to see what was going on.
'They opened the mortuary door and realised the poor man was still alive.'
The grandfather, whose identity has not been released, was rushed to a local hospital after suffering hypothermia caused by his exposure to the mortuary's chilly conditions.
He was kept in overnight under observation before being discharged this morning.
Mr Kupelo said the man's family had been stunned to receive a call telling them he was still alive.
He added: 'They were obviously absolutely surprised and shocked.
'One of the man's grandchildren rushed to the morgue and accompanied him in the ambulance to the hospital.'
Mr Kupelo said his department was advising families to call the police if they thought a relative had died at home.
He said: 'This was a terrifying experience for the poor man, and he is lucky that he survived so long in a chilled mortuary.
'We are advising people to call the police if they think someone has died.
'Bodies must be examined by a medical professional and in inquest must be opened before they are sent to the mortuary.'
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