74-year-old Nebraska woman pronounced dead, found to be alive, breathing at funeral home

A woman who was pronounced dead at a Nebraska nursing home was found to be alive after she was taken to a nearby funeral home Monday, according to local law enforcement.

A 74-year-old resident of The Mulberry at Waverly nursing home in Waverly, Nebraska, was pronounced dead at the home at 9:44 a.m. local time Monday and transported to the Butherus-Maser & Love Funeral Home in Lincoln.

But once the woman got to Lincoln, about 15 miles away, an employee preparing her body noticed she was still breathing, according to the Lancaster County Sheriff's office.

Lincoln Fire and Rescue responded to a 911 call at 11:43 a.m. and transported the patient to a hospital.

As of Monday afternoon she is still alive, according to Lancaster County Sheriff's officials.

The woman was in hospice prior to being declared dead and had been seen by a doctor, who signed her death certificate Monday.

'A very unusual case'

“This is a very unusual case,” Lancaster County Sherrif Chief Deputy Ben Houchin said at a Monday press conference. “Been doing this 31 years, and nothing like this has ever gotten to this point before.”

The incident is being investigated by the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office though Houchin said that investigators do not believe there is criminal intent at this time

USA TODAY reached out to both the Mulberry at Waverly nursing home and the Butherus-Maser & Love Funeral Home. The nursing home refused to comment and the funeral home has not responded.

This is a developing story