We Accidentally Dug Into Someone's Grave!

[CareTaker]

When my step-father died, after a lengthy battle with cancer, there were only two people who dug his grave; me and one of his nephews. He was to be buried in an old family cemetery next to his mother.

Me and the nephew took turns at the digging. Eventually we had gotten down to a little more than 4 feet and I came upon something hard and solid. After digging a bit more I soon found myself uncovering a large section of flat wood which was very soft and rotten. I tapped it with the shovel and yelled up to those on the ground that I thought we were digging into an existing grave. I was assured that there was no grave here. I scraped the dirt back an uncovered more of the wood and at that point I told everyone that there was no way I was going to dig any further and I climbed up out of the hole. The nephew expressed that there was no way a grave could be here and that he would finish the digging. He got into the hole and hit the piece of wood with the shovel. The nastiest smelling water gushed up from below the wood and drenched his legs. When I say it smelled horrible I cannot exaggerate. He climbed up out of the hole and someone gave him a ride home to clean up (in the back of their pickup truck).

I should also mention that where this graveyard was the earth was almost entirely clay. Clay does not drain well and generally water is trapped if there are any "pockets".

We decided that it was in fact a grave and either his mother's headstone wasn't in the correct place or there was an older grave beside her which had been long forgotten. We had to fill the hole back in and dig a new one in another spot.

[UglyNRude]

That would be a never forget moment. When I think about the water and the horrible smell I cringe. I can almost imagine. The digging in clay is horrible in itself.

Years ago people buried people all over, you read all the time about some street crew dig up old caskets. Doing research for an investigation I came across a lot of this in the Saginaw, Bay City area of Michigan. The indians and the early settlers buried the dead along the rivers. Flooding and change destroys markers and graves were lost. In the early nineties a road construction project they discovered several of these.

[CareTaker]

Yes, it was really horrible. The nephew was a good friend of mine. We had grown up together and had known each other long before his uncle married my mother. He is also dead now. Anyway, it really REALLY disturbed him. He said the ride to his house in that truck was awful and even after everything was over he could still smell it for a long time afterwards.

And yeah, digging in clay is very tough so it went quite slowly

[Shastar]

Whoa... that is the type of event that can cause counseling years later.

And yes digging in clay sucks!!

Did any of you experience anything unusual after covering the grave back up?

[jka12002]

Well i actually had a dream like this, and i actually smelled a dead corpse in my dream.

It had like a strong sour lemon like smell. I dont know how a real corpse would smell and i dont want to find out any sooner.

[CareTaker]

(05-30-2009 09:28 PM)jka12002 Wrote:  Well i actually had a dream like this, and i actually smelled a dead corpse in my dream.

It had like a strong sour lemon like smell. I dont know how a real corpse would smell and i dont want to find out any sooner.

This was a really thick intense rotted smell that took your breath away. As soon as he busted through that wood (I think it was what was left of a coffin lid but I could be wrong) everyone there started gagging and running away from the hole.

[Haunted]

I don't think I've ever experienced this smell, at least I hope not. I've smelled some pretty bad odors while in a certain place or something. But, I've been told by several people that have experienced this that it's a smell that you never will forget and that can't be described.

[BlackKnight]

What a strange and gross experience! How long had the mother been buried there? Is it likely that it was her grave that was dug into?

[CareTaker]

Im not sure but the best I can remember his mother was buried there in the early 1970s. The graveyard has been used since the 1940s. I kind of doubt that it was his mother's grave because "they" havent buried people in a plain wooden coffin, especially without a vault/covering

[eyepriestess]

That is well creepy!!! I wouldn't have gotten over that either. I can imagine that smell, bet he was absolutely horrified with that smell on him for so long before he could wash it off and then it lingering...hellfire!

Has he gotten over it yet? Bet he still has the odd nightmare about it, doesn't he?