A man who had been thrown down a tomb and left to die was discovered ALIVE by a grieving family.

The man, only known by his initials VSFM, had apparently been attacked and thrown down the tomb in Caju Cemetery in Brazil.

He was discovered when relatives of a person buried close by went to pray beside the grave - and found bloodstains on the edge of the cover.

Firemen who rushed to the scene opened up the tomb to find the 33-year-old alive but severely injured.

The man had visible wounds on his body and he was taken to the nearby Ferreira Machado Hospital where he is said to be in a stable condition.

Local police have confirmed they are carrying out an attempted murder investigation and are searching for suspects.

•Adapted from a Yahoo News report. Buried alive: Photo shows Brazilian VSFM inside the grave. (CEN)