Dead drunk: Russian man wakes up in morgue and joins mourners for a vodka at his wake

A man who was pronounced dead during a night out drinking with friends woke up in a morgue and proceeded to join mourners for a drink at his own wake. Media reports indicate that the man 'dropped dead' while drinking.

Medics reportedly pronounced the man dead and took him to a morgue in Primorye in east Russia. However, the man woke up in the middle of the night and banged on the door until authorities let him out. He then attended his own wake, where he joined his friends for a drink of vodka.

Detective Alexey Stoev told local newspaper Khasanskiye Vesti: "At some point the man woke up and did not understand where he was. It was very dark and cold. Plus his brain was fogged by the alcohol. In the darkness, he felt the cold extremities of someone and in fear rushed to the door. Then the man began banging on the door with all his might."

Stoev referred to the man as "our dead hero", describing how he was let go after police took a statement from him. Media reports have suggested that the man then went straight back to his friend's house, where people had already begun mourning his death.

A number of other incidents of people waking up from "death" have emerged recently, including a case in Mumbai, India, where a man woke up moments before his post-mortem examination was due to begin. Hospital staff were shocked to see that the "dead" man was breathing as his stomach moved up and down.