A tragedy has struck, and a loved one passes. Nothing makes sense how this could have happened. A physicians declaration of death is the final observation. Grieving, the family decides to put the body into the ground immediately, the coffin is nailed shut, and the six-foot hole dug open, is now filled.
Only a week later the hole is dug open once again. Only this time by two individuals that felt they deserved your beloved’s possessions more. Upon opening the coffin they find a cadaver. A decayed face appearing to scream with its last breath that nobody heard. Its fingers had peeled back broken nails. It’s clothing soaked in dry blood. On the underside of the coffin lid, scratches indicated a horrific, and lonely death.
In 1822, Dr. Adolf Gutsmuth decided to design a coffin that could help prevent this. He incorporated a feeding tube, a bell, and a ladder for the undead to escape their mistaken demise. Several cases have been documented where the bell has rung. Upon further investigation, it was due to the corrosive nature of the body, and its tendency to shift while being consumed by nature.
Since, there have been several others who have attempted to create safety coffins. All of which found the process of decay to interfere with any success. In 1995 a modern safety coffin was patented by, Fabrizio Caselli. His design included an emergency alarm, intercom system, a torch (flashlight), breathing apparatus, and both a heart monitor and stimulator.
Despite all these efforts, there are no documented cases of anybody being saved by a safety coffin.