A 23-year-old man from Oregon who was legally declared dead has recently been found alive and well.
Back in September 2023, Tyler Chase was declared dead by the Multnomah County medical examiner, with his cause of death being listed as a drug overdose, Fox 19 reports.
However, the county has since been forced to admit its mistake after it was discovered in December that Chase is, in fact, alive.
The Multnomah County Medical Examiner's Office has acknowledged its grave error in mistakenly declaring Tyler Chase deceased. In a statement, the county admitted that it wasn't until December 18 that they realized the error and subsequently contacted Chase and his family the following day.
Chase had been living in a recovery program for several months, having previously struggled with substance abuse and losing contact with his family for several years. He became aware of his "deceased" status after his food assistance benefits became inactive in October.
Seeking help from the Department of Human Services, he was confronted with a startling revelation.
"They were like, 'Can we see your ID?' So, I gave it to them," Chase recalled. "Then they just looked as confused as I was, and they're like, 'Right here, it says you are dead.'"
This shocking discovery left Chase in disbelief, and he still hadn't managed to locate his family at that point. Unbeknownst to him, his family had received a formal death certificate and even as urn containing that they believed to be his ashes following a cremation.
However, it was later revealed that the ashes inside the urn belonged to a stranger they had never met.
Speaking to NBC News, Chase's cousin, Latasha Rosales, revealed that the "small" family had only just lost Chase's mom in back in 2020. After learning of Chase's "death", she wrote in a Facebook tribute: "My heart is so heavy today rest in peace baby cousin Tyler."
But after learning the truth, she questioned: "Well, then like, who died? Whose ashes do I have?"
Officials from the medical examiner's office eventually located Chase at the recovery center on December 19 and admitted to the grievous mistake. Additionally, they informed him that the deceased individual found in Portland had been carrying Chase's wallet, which was believed to have been stolen from him at the recovery center where he had been residing.
Chase's wallet contained only a temporary Oregon driver's license, which was the sole form of identification and led to the confusion. The county spokesperson issued a statement expressing deep regret for the misidentification, explaining in a statement: "The misidentification occurred because the deceased person was carrying Mr. Tyler Chase’s wallet and his official temporary Oregon driver’s license."
"It was so surreal and it just didn't even, I can't even explain it," Rosales told NBC.
The Multnomah County Medical Examiner's Office has stated that it is implementing policy changes to prevent such mishaps in the future. "Going forward, all individuals who are found with a temporary state-issued identification must also have fingerprints submitted for positive identification, to ensure that this will never happen again," it said in a statement.
If you or someone you know is battling addiction, please reach out for help and contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA's) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (1-800-662-4357) or go to https://findtreatment.gov/
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