That was the worst mix-up.
An Oregon family believed their loved one was dead when they received an urn containing his ashes and a 23-year-old boy's death certificate, only to find out months later that he was alive. .
The strange story of resurrection began when Portland resident Tyler Chase was pronounced dead of a drug overdose by the Multnomah County coroner. KPTV reported.
The newspaper said Chase had been living in a recovery program after struggling with substance abuse and had not been in contact with his family for several years.
In December, he visited the Department of Human Services office and asked why his food assistance benefits had been revoked, even though they had been approved in October.
“They asked me to enter my Social Security and everything. And they said, 'Okay, let's see if we can help you solve the problem.' It felt like,” Chase told KPTV.
“And all of a sudden they started interrogating me and saying, 'Can I see your ID?'” So I gave it to them and they were just as confused as I was. “I looked at him and said, 'It says you're dead,'” he said.
Meanwhile, Chase's family received a death certificate and an urn containing the remains of another person. According to police, the man was found dead with his wallet in his hands, and it appears that the wallet had been stolen from the recovery center where he lived.
Officials said the wallet contained a temporary driver's license.
“So they found my paper ID, dirt and everything, and said, 'That's Tyler John Chase,' so they assumed it was me.” Chase told KPTV.
“And they notified the family as per procedure,” he added.
Chase's family refused to view the body before it was cremated, the Multnomah County Coroner's Office said. told K.G.W..
“While TV shows often show people checking the identities of their loved ones in medical examiner's offices, most medical examiners' offices do not have viewing facilities,” the station reported.
“Families can meet and identify their loved ones at the funeral home that handles the arrangements,” it added.
KGW reports that it took more than three months for the agency to realize the mistake, tell the family that Chase was not on a pile of ashes, and set up a video call to reconnect.
Authorities also contacted the deceased man's exact family, whose name has not been released, to inform them of his death.
A county spokesperson told KPTV, “We deeply regret that a misidentification occurred.'' “The misidentification occurred because the decedent was in possession of Mr. Tyler Chase's wallet and official Oregon provisional driver's license.”
The statement further added that the ME's Secretariat “has launched a comprehensive review to identify gaps in current practices and is working to implement systemic changes.”
“Going forward, all individuals found with state-issued temporary identification documents will also be required to submit fingerprints for positive identification to ensure this never happens again.” he added.
“While misidentifications are extremely rare, a small number of cases have been reported nationwide,” the agency told KGW in a statement.
Latasha Rosales, Chase's cousin, said that when she heard about the grave mistake, she “just forgot about it.”
“I can't believe how something like this could happen. It makes absolutely no sense to me,” she told the outlet.
“I can't even imagine how they feel,” Rosales added of the other families. “Their children, siblings, loved ones were cremated. He passed away without their knowledge.”
