In a remarkable and puzzling turn of events, an elderly man who was mistakenly declared deceased and on the verge of being embalmed, regained consciousness inside a body bag at a funeral home.
Walter Williams, a farmer who gained international attention when he suddenly woke up, surprised undertakers at Porter and Sons Funeral Home in Mississippi, USA, as they were preparing to embalm him. It was revealed that Walter, aged 78 at the time, was still alive. On February 27, 2014, the grandfather of 15 had been admitted to a hospice due to congestive heart failure. After medical personnel, including the coroner and nurses, confirmed his lack of pulse around 9 pm, assuming he had passed away, he was transported to Porter and Sons Funeral Home in a body bag.
As embalmers were getting ready to start the preservation process to delay decomposition for public viewing, Walter began showing signs of life. Emergency services swiftly took him to the hospital, where doctors speculated that a mix of medications or a malfunctioning pacemaker might have led to the disappearance of his vital signs.
Holmes County Coroner Dexter Howard recounted the surprising moment, stating, “We got him into the embalming room, and we noticed his legs beginning to move, like kicking. He also began to do a little breathing.” Reflecting on the incident, Dexter shared, “Every case I handle teaches me something. That miracles can happen,” he added, emphasizing the lesson learned from Walter Williams’ case.
His nephew Eddie Hester recalled the dramatic turn of events, mentioning, “I stood there and watched them put him in a body bag and zip it up. That was at 10:30 pm, and at 2:30 am, my cousin called me and said ‘Not yet,’ and I said ‘what do you mean not yet.’” Eddie continued, “He [my cousin] said, ‘Daddy still here.’”
Dexter informed the BBC that Walter’s family was overwhelmed with shock upon learning of his recovery and were celebrating the unexpected turn of events. The coroner expressed his astonishment, noting that in his more than two decades of experience, he had never encountered a case like Walter Williams’. Dexter concluded, “It’s an unusual case. I hope he keeps on keeping on.”
Martha Lewis, Walter’s daughter, expressed her gratitude, saying, “Seemed like he had more life in him again. And then we had just stopped talking, he told us ‘what did you all stop talking for?’ Hallelujah, thank you, Jesus. It was not my daddy’s time. I don’t know how much longer he’s going to grace us and bless us with his presence, but hallelujah, we thank him right now.”
Sadly, approximately 15 days after capturing global attention, Walter, fondly known as Snowball, passed away at his residence in Lexington, Mississippi at 4:15 am on March 14, 2014. His death was attributed to natural causes. Eddie, speaking to CNN, remarked, “I think he’s gone this time,” referring to Walter’s final passing. Describing the brief period as a “two-week miracle,” Eddie shared, “It was a two-week miracle for me and I enjoyed every minute of it and my family did too.”