A grieving Canadian family accidentally buried the wrong body, BBC News reported. The error came to light when the missing relative thought to have died returned home, months after the funeral.
According to the police, the body buried was that of pianist Scott Cushnie, 80, who was missing since August, around the same time another family was trying to find their missing relative.
That family was contacted by the authorities regarding an elderly man who had died in hospital, after falling and injuring himself while walking downtown. They identified the deceased as their missing relative and a funeral was held.
But this month, the man they believed they had buried reappeared — alive — leaving the police and chief coroner to determine the true identity of the body in the grave.
Cushnie’s long-time friend Andrea Reid, who had been leading the search for him ever since she went to his home on August 29, shared that she got a call from police last week explaining that they believed they had found him – and that they thought he had been accidentally buried by the wrong family.
She said that if he were alive, he would have “had a laugh” and that she’s happy he got a loving funeral.
“He was a man with an incredible sense of humour… if he had read about this story he would have had a laugh,” she said.
The coroner’s office says the body is being exhumed so a full identification can be carried out.
