In 1915, in the quiet town of Blackville, South Carolina, a 30-year-old woman named Essie Dunbar became part of a story so extraordinary, it would be told and retold for decades. What started as a funeral became something far more surreal: a miraculous return to life after she was buried alive. This tale blurs the lines between fact and legend, and yet, at its heart, it’s a story of life snatched back from the grip of death—an escape from the grave unlike any other.
The First Death of Essie Dunbar
It was a sweltering summer afternoon when Essie Dunbar suffered a sudden epileptic seizure. Panicked and unsure of what to do, her family called for the town doctor, Dr D.K. Briggs. When Dr Briggs arrived and examined her, he found no signs of life. Her breath had stopped, and no pulse could be detected. Somberly, he declared Essie dead.
Funeral preparations were made quickly, as was the custom of the time. Essie’s body was placed in a simple wooden coffin, and her funeral was scheduled for the following day. Her sister, who lived in a neighboring town, was given time to attend but wasn’t expected to arrive until after the service had started. Three preachers were leading a long, somber ceremony when the funeral began. Essie’s family mourned, not knowing that this would not be her final farewell.
A Shocking Resurrection
Just as the funeral ended and Essie’s coffin was lowered into the ground, her sister finally arrived. She begged the preachers to dig up the coffin so she could see her sister one last time. After some hesitation, the preachers agreed, and the freshly covered grave was uncovered. The screws on the coffin lid were loosened, and, to everyone’s horror and shock, Essie Dunbar sat up in the coffin, alive and smiling.
What followed can only be described as pandemonium. The three ministers, overwhelmed with fear, fell backward into the open grave, scrambling over one another to get out. In their frantic rush, one of the preachers was trampled, left with three broken ribs. The crowd, already unsettled by the sight of Essie’s seemingly lifeless body, now animated, erupted into chaos. Many fled, believing that Essie had returned as a ghost or, worse—a zombie.
Confused but unharmed, Essie stepped out of the coffin and began walking towards the town. Those who had known and loved her were torn between joy and terror, unsure how to react. It wasn’t every day that someone was buried and lived to tell the tale. For Essie, it was the beginning of a new chapter marked by both wonder and suspicion.
Life After the Grave
Despite the extraordinary nature of her survival, life for Essie Dunbar eventually returned to something resembling normal. She returned to her day-to-day life in Blackville, where she became a local legend. But not everyone welcomed her back with open arms. Many continued to see her as someone who had defied the natural order, and rumors spread that she was cursed or a zombie. Though these whispers followed her for years, Essie remained a kind and steady presence in the community.
As time passed, Essie outlived not only her friends but also Dr Briggs, the very man who had mistakenly declared her dead all those years before. In her later years, she was known for her resilience, a woman who had truly beaten death. A 1955 newspaper article even noted how she still spent her days picking cotton and receiving a modest welfare check, her simple life contrasting to the eerie legend surrounding her.
Fact or Fiction?
While Essie’s story has been passed down through generations, the truth of her extraordinary resurrection is difficult to verify. Much of what we know comes from second-hand accounts, with no official records from the time to back up the details. A local doctor who treated one of the injured preachers told a newspaper reporter about the incident 40 years later, sparking renewed interest in the tale. The story of Essie’s burial and miraculous survival has been printed and reprinted in newspapers and books, with each retelling adding its own layer of mystery.
Though many accept her story as fact, others wonder whether parts of it have been exaggerated or even fabricated over the years. Essie’s local fame may have inspired the story to grow into something larger than life. Regardless of its complete accuracy, her tale continues to capture the imagination of those who hear it—a reminder of how fine the line between life and death can be.
Essie Dunbar’s True Final Farewell
Essie Dunbar lived for another 47 years after her miraculous escape from the grave. On May 22, 1962, at the age of 77, she passed away peacefully from natural causes. This time, there were no surprises at her funeral, no last-minute rescues or smiles from the coffin. Her second burial was a quiet one, a final farewell to a woman who had once been at the center of one of the most extraordinary tales of survival ever told.
