Buzz
Before modern medical technology could accurately confirm death, people lived in constant dread of premature burial. In his book Buried Alive: The Terrifying History of Our Most Primal Fear, Jan Bondeson explores the extreme precautions taken to avoid such a fate, such as coffins equipped with bells or flags to signal any signs of life. While many tales of live burials were overblown, Bondeson uncovered genuine accounts of individuals interred while still alive.
1. The Cobbler
In 1822, a 40-year-old German cobbler was declared dead and buried. However, doubts arose immediately, as his body showed no signs of decay or rigor mortis. Despite these concerns, the funeral proceeded. As the gravedigger finished covering the grave, he heard faint knocking from beneath the earth.
The gravedigger swiftly reversed his actions, removing the soil as fast as he could, only to discover the shoemaker stirring inside his coffin. His arms were raised, his body warm, and when a doctor cut a vein, blood spilled onto the shroud. Despite three days of revival attempts, all measures failed. The shoemaker was pronounced dead again and buried permanently.
2. Essie Dunbar
In 1915, Essie Dunbar, a 30-year-old from South Carolina, was believed to have died from a severe epilepsy episode. Declared deceased, her body was placed in a coffin, and her funeral was set for the following day to allow her out-of-town sister to attend. However, her sister arrived too late, witnessing the final dirt being shoveled onto the grave. Determined to see Essie one last time, she demanded the coffin be reopened. To everyone’s astonishment, Essie sat up, smiling, and went on to live for another 47 years.
3. Philomèle Jonetre
In 1867, Philomèle Jonetre, a 24-year-old French woman, fell ill with cholera and was soon presumed dead. Following tradition, a priest performed the last rites, and her body was placed in a coffin. Just 16 hours later, she was buried six feet underground.
Similar to the shoemaker’s ordeal, a gravedigger heard Jonetre knocking from inside her coffin and quickly unearthed her. Although no breath was visible when a candle flame was held near her nose, rhythmic sounds emanated from her chest, accompanied by muscle spasms and eyelid movements. Sadly, these signs faded, and Jonetre was declared dead the next day, leading to her second burial.
4. Angelo Hays
Bondeson describes the story of Angelo Hays, a 19-year-old Frenchman, as “perhaps the most extraordinary 20th-century case of suspected premature burial.” In 1937, Hays crashed his motorcycle, catapulting him headfirst into a brick wall. His injuries were so severe that his parents were barred from seeing his body. With no detectable pulse, doctors pronounced him dead, and he was buried three days later. However, an insurance company’s investigation prompted his exhumation just two days after the funeral.
To the astonishment of the forensic team, Hays’s body was still warm. He had been in a profound coma, and his reduced oxygen needs had sustained him. After multiple surgeries and rehabilitation, Hays made a full recovery. He even became a French sensation, drawing crowds eager to hear his story. In the 1970s, he toured with a high-tech security coffin he designed, complete with plush padding, a food compartment, a toilet, and even a small library.
