Williams' nephew Eddie Hester said: 'I stood there and watched them put him in a body bag and zip it up.

'That was at 10:30pm, and at 2:30am, my cousin called me and said "Not yet" and I said "what do you mean not yet?"

'He said, "Daddy still here".'

Paramedics took Williams to hospital where he stabilised, and was said to be 'happy to be alive' by family members.

Hester said: 'I don't know how long he's going to be here, but I know he's back right now and that's all that matters.'

Byron Porter, of Porter and Sons Funeral Home, said it was the first time he had seen anything like it.

He said: 'He was not dead. Long story short.'

Holmes County Sheriff Willie March said: 'I asked the coroner what happened, and the only thing he could say is that it's a miracle.'

Williams had been a long time farmer and had worked for the local school board. He was described by his family as a 'fighter'.