Full Breakdown
Guatemalan Teen Found Alive in Her Coffin During Funeral
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event
On October 10, 15-year-old Yuleidy Ixcotoyac of El Jocote, Quich Department, Guatemala, was discovered alive after eight hours of being presumed dead. She had lost consciousness while her father, Abraham Ixcotoyac—an evangelical pastor—was driving her to a medical centre. After stopping the car, he reported feeling no pulse or breathing and concluded she had died. The family secured a coffin without a physician’s examination or a death certificate and began a wake at their home.
Timeline of Events
- Early hours of October 10: Yuleidy collapses in the car; Abraham Ixcotoyac assesses her as deceased.
- Later that day, around 2:30 p.m.: Mourners gather for the wake.
- During the ceremony, mother Lesvia Rios notices movement; Yuleidy opens her eyes and sits upright in the coffin.
- Family assists her out of the coffin, offers water, and the incident is recorded and shared online.
Family Statements
Lesvia Rios, who was crying over the casket, reported seeing the teen move and immediately recognized she was alive. Abraham Ixcotoyac confirmed that Yuleidy never reached the clinic and reiterated his earlier assessment that she had ceased breathing and had no detectable pulse.
Context and Aftermath
The incident highlights a lack of medical oversight, as the family proceeded without a doctor’s confirmation of death. The video of Yuleidy’s revival quickly spread on social media, drawing widespread attention to the dangers of informal death determinations in remote areas.