A ‘dead man’ left mourners in shock as he turned up to his own funeral before exclaiming ‘I’m alive!’
The 22-year-old, who went missing during a days-long heavy drinking session, had been reported dead to the police by his mother after another young man was run over by a sugarcane truck.
Although suicide was suspected, prosecutors classified the case as negligent homicide and ordered an autopsy on the body.
His mother claimed to recognise the body by the clothing and some physical features and the authorities released the remains to the family, who organised a wake.
However, the son stunned mourners by rocking up at the ceremony alive.
He admitted to being on a days-long drinking binge in Alderetes, north of Cordoba, Argentina, and was completely unaware of his alleged death.
His arrival left attendees and police questioning who was in the coffin.
The man was then taken to the police station to be interviewed while the body was returned to the morgue to establish its true identity.
A ‘dead man’ left mourners in shock as he turned up to his own funeral before exclaiming ‘I’m alive!’
Mourners at the funeral were left shocked when the 22-year-old turned up and questioned whose body was in the coffin
The body was identified as that of Maximiliano Enrique Acosta, 28. But authorities failed to return his body to his family at first
The body was later identified as that of Maximiliano Enrique Acosta, 28, from the nearby town of Delfín Gallo.
Authorities tried to return his body to his family but allegedly handed back a different one at first.
His brother Hernán said: ‘Everything was wrong from the beginning.
‘First, they handed over the body without proper identification.
‘Then they made me go to the morgue twice.
‘We shouldn’t have to go through this after everything we suffered.’
Mr Acosta’s body was eventually returned to his family and a funeral was held in his hometown on Tuesday.
The Argentine Public Prosecutor’s Office has launched an internal investigation to determine how the errors occurred.
