A woman declared dead by the coroner after her husband found her unresponsive in bed was being placed in a coffin when morticians made a startling discovery — she was very much alive.

The horrifying tale from the Czech Republic unfolded when an 88-year-old woman, who was thought to be dead, showed signs of life in her coffin.

According to Blesk.cz

The husband also told Blesk that “the workers transferred her to the coffin, and when they were right here in the apartment in the hallway by the door, they found out she was alive. ” An ambulance arrived soon after, and the woman was transported to the hospital. (iStock)

An ambulance arrived shortly after, and the woman was transported to the hospital.

While this may seem like something out of a horror story, this rare medical occurrence has happened before.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, it’s known as the Lazarus Effect.

Named after the biblical story of Jesus raising Lazarus back from the dead, this usually occurs after CPR ends.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, this phenomenon is known as the Lazarus Effect. Named after the biblical story of Jesus raising Lazarus back from the dead, this usually occurs after CPR ends. (iStock)

Typically, this happens after a cardiac arrest occurs and CPR is administered to the patient.

This medical phenomenon occurs after the patient is clinically pronounced dead.

Some time later, the patient will begin to show signs of life and must continue to show these signs for more than a few seconds.

According to the National Institutes of Health, there have been 74 confirmed cases in the U.S. from 1982-2022. 

It is still unknown how or why the Lazarus Effect happens.

Nick Butler is a reporter for Fox News Digital. Do you have any tips? Reach out to Nick.Butler@Fox.com.