Man Claims That He is Alive After Waking Up in Barbados Morgue

According to the source below, a man claims he woke up in the morgue of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) in Barbados. QEH is by far the largest hospital in the island. It is a public hospital administered by the Barbados Government. There have been many instances of alleged mismanagement at QEH.

Barbados Nation News, 11/5/2009:  QEH: Escape from morgue ‘unlikely’

Scantlebury, 46, a car washer, claimed he woke up in the hospital’s morgue after suffering an epileptic seizure.

In an interview in the last SATURDAY SUN, he alleged that he was inside a “dark room” with a big refrigerator with drawers.

“I had just come out of one of the same drawers . . . ,” he said.

In that article, Best said the hospital did not have a Reynzill Scantlebury on record, but did have a record of another man who had died, also a Scantlebury, whose first name was close to his and who had Lorenzo as a middle name.

Escape From Morgue Improbable

Acting director of QEH support services Louise Bobb had this to say:

  •  Once the patient is certified dead by the doctor, the body is prepared for transportation to the morgue.
  • The chin is secured, the toes are tied together and tagged before being placed in a shroud/zipper bag.

“It would be difficult for someone to break the material [of the shroud/bag],” stated Bobb.

Were Procedures Followed?

How “improbable” is it that correct procedures were not followed?

Did Mr. Scantlebury wake up in a room that was similar to the morgue? He describes a ‘ “dark room” with a big refrigerator with drawers …’ Could he be mistaken? It is unlikely that he awoke in the lunch room! This incident should be thoroughly investigated. The big question is what happened to the other Scantlebury with the similar name? Is he still in the morgue or is he missing?

Many people have an irrational fear of being buried alive. This incident is not going to  help them.