74-year-old Nebraska woman found alive hours after pronouncement of death

A disturbing incident has surfaced in Lincoln, Nebraska, involving a senior citizen who was pronounced dead prematurely and narrowly avoided being buried alive. According to PEOPLE, 74-year-old Constance Glantz, a resident at The Mulberry nursing home receiving end-of-life hospice care, was determined to have passed away by staff early Monday morning.

In accordance with the protocol for an anticipated death without unusual circumstances, Glantz's body was released to the Butherus-Maser & Love Funeral Home to begin making arrangements. However, in a macabre twist of destiny, a funeral home employee made the unexpected discovery around lunchtime that Glantz was still exhibiting signs of life. 

Emergency medical services were soon alerted, and Glantz was transported to the hospital in critical condition. As of now, she remains alive, albeit her prognosis is unclear.

According to the outlet, at a press briefing later that day, a visibly shaken Lancaster County Sheriff's Chief Deputy Ben Houchin acknowledged the disturbing nature of the near tragedy. "Been doing this 31 years, and nothing like this has ever gotten to this point before," he gravely stated.  

While Houchin noted that nursing home staff correctly followed protocol in not summoning authorities after Glantz's presumed passing, a full investigation is underway to determine how the egregious error occurred with a nurse present during the patient's misdiagnosis.

For now, Glantz's family has been informed of the horrifying situation, no doubt grappling with the reality that their loved one was perilously close to being buried prematurely. The public has also reacted with shock and outrage that such a nightmare could unfold.

As agonizing questions linger, the incident stands as a sober reminder that the irreversible determination of death is a weighty burden requiring prudence and extreme vigilance, lest more situations like this come to bear.