A 20-year-old Detroit woman was pronounced dead by paramedics. Hours later funeral home staff found her breathing, according to the Detroit Free Press. The family of the young woman is now seeking answers to what went terribly wrong in the frightening ordeal.
Attorney Geoffrey Fieger, who is representing the family of Timesha Beauchamp, told reporters that the young woman who was believed to have a heart attack, was about to be embalmed when she opened her eyes, alerting workers at James H. Cole Funeral Home in Detroit that she was still alive. “They would have begun draining her blood to be very, very frank about it,” Fieger told local ABC affiliate WXYZ.
Family members who have spoken out about the tragedy say paramedics were called to the home of Timesha Beauchamp on Sunday morning after finding her unresponsive. Members of the Southfield Fire Department team arrived and determined that Beauchamp was not breathing. After 30 minutes of attempting to resuscitate her, and upon guidance from an emergency room doctor, first responders determined she was deceased.
According to a statement from the fire chief obtained by WXYZ, the determination of her death was made based on the information given to the ER doctor who was not on the scene. Because it did not appear as if there was any foul play, the Oakland County Medical Examiner’s Office was given the medical data. Beauchamp was not brought in for an autopsy and her body was released to her family to begin funeral procedures.
Fieger says the delay in time while the young woman was believed to be dead may affect her recovery. Right now she is in critical condition at Sinai Grace hospital and is receiving help from a ventilator.
Southfield Fire Department says it followed procedure but is conducting an internal investigation.