WOMAN DIED AFTER MISTAKENLY BEING TAKEN TO MORGUE WHILE STILL ALIVE

PEOPLE

 

Mom, 54, Found Alive in Morgue After Being Pronounced Dead Following Seizure While Making Toast

By Gabrielle Rockson  Published on December 3, 2025 06:44AM EST

 

A mother from England was reportedly found alive in a morgue after she was incorrectly thought to be dead.

 

On Oct. 13, 2023, Olive Martin, 54, collapsed in her kitchen in Darlington, Yorkshire, after she made toast and suffered from a seizure, according to U.K newspapers Metro, The Telegraph and The Northern Echo.

 

Instead of being taken to the emergency room, Martin was transported to Darlington Hospital Mortuary, where she was discovered to still be alive.

 

On Tuesday, Dec. 2, Coroner Jeremy Chipperfield told Crook Coroners Court that it wasn't until “some time later” that Martin ended up dying from brain damage, reported The Telegraph.

 

The attorney of Martin’s family, Tom Barclay Semple, said there was a time period of two hours where she was given “no treatment at all,” added The Telegraph.

 

“What should that treatment have looked like?,” he reportedly asked the court before questioning whether “her death could have been avoided or prolonged in some meaningful way.”

 

The coroner went on to say that he was unaware of how long Martin was starved of oxygen on the day she collapsed, to which Barclay Semple replied, “We know that when Olive was found in her kitchen, she had put toast in her toaster,” reported Metro.

 

“That was the day when she was expected to go to work. If that was when she was having her seizure we can extrapolate from that,” he continued, per the outlet.

 

The North East Ambulance Service’s (NEAS) representative, James Donnelly, told the court that Martin was “observed in the mortuary to have some signs of life,” according to The Telegraph.

 

“What would have happened if she had been immediately brought to the emergency department?,” he asked, per the outlet.

 

Durham Constabulary representative John Gray reportedly added that Martin had evidence of “brain function” by her “responding to stimuli either by verbal or gripping.”

 

The next court hearing is set to take place on January 30 next year.

 

In a statement to PEOPLE, the NEAS said: “As soon as we were made aware of this incident, we contacted the patient’s family and launched a review into the circumstances."

 

"Our review of this incident will of course be shared with the coroner to determine what happened and it would not be appropriate for us to comment further whilst that process is underway," the statement added.

 

"Our thoughts remain with Olive’s family at this time.”

 

Martin’s family also previously paid tribute to her, Metro reported.

 

“Our Mam will always be remembered for her kind heart, her infectious personality and her positivity day in and day out,” they said, according to the outlet. “She was our warrior, and she will be deeply missed by every person she has ever met. We would request privacy at this difficult time.”

 

PEOPLE has contacted the Crook Coroner's Court and Darlington Hospital Mortuary for comment. Durham Constabulary previously confirmed no criminal charges would be filed.