iStockphoto / davidford
A man from Belgium has gone viral internationally after faking his death and showing up at his own funeral in a helicopter to teach his family a lesson about togetherness.
The story seems like a headline from The Onion come to life, and it has exploded on social media as people learn about the lengths David Baerten went to in order ‘to teach family a lesson about staying in touch.’
Faking one’s death is a horrid act. Putting one’s family through the agony of loss is horrible. But hiring a camera crew and helicopter to then drop you off at your own funeral to try and make it a teaching moment is almost unthinkable.
Guy Fakes Own Death To Teach His Family A Lesson
Several videos posted to TikTok of the man showing up at his own funeral have started going viral after being shared on Twitter and elsewhere:
@el.tiktokeur2 Tu nous as eu on t aime mon ami on est content que tu es parmis nous ❤️❤️#pourtoii #fyp #fypシ @Ragnar_le_fou
@el.tiktokeur2 Tu nous a eu je te le jure j etais en pleure moi et apres j ai eu le choc poto on t aime beaucoup ❤️@Ragnar_le_fou @Leclercq Philippe #fyp #pourtoii #fypシ
According to Britain’s LBC, the man’s daughter was posting agonizing messages on social media prior to her father showing up in a helicopter at his own funeral.
She wrote “Rest in peace Daddy. I will never stop thinking about you. Why is life so unfair? Why you? You were going to be a grandfather, and you still had your whole life ahead of you. I love you! We love you! We will never forget you.”
On Twitter, this joke/reference from Arrested Development was shared far and wide:
And THAT'S why you always stay in touch. pic.twitter.com/ArC2rTv0nc
— AG SUPPORTS WGA #Strike 👐🏻 (@menace2snacks) June 14, 2023
Another person joked “Men will literally stage an elaborate hoax involving their own death before making a phone call.” Someone else replied “‘damn, he isn’t dead’ – his fed up family.”
On the flip side, others expressed how disturbing this would be if it happened to them. One person wrote “I would cut someone who did this out of my life completely and never look back.”
Another added “It’s clear why his family don’t want nothin to do with him.”
Having dealt with the loss of immediate family members before, I wouldn’t wish this sort of prank, or ‘lesson teaching’ on anyone.