A Belgian TikToker has caused global buzz online after faking his death, and later showing up at his own funeral in a helicopter.
In the viral incident captured in a video, 45-year-old David Baerten is said to have pulled the stunt on his family and friends in a bid to “teach them a lesson” and find out who really cared for him.
Baerten reportedly executed the plan with the help of some of his family members such as his daughter, who initially took to social media to announce and mourn her father’s passing.
“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,” she wrote, according to the Times UK publication.
To the utter surprise of the mourners during the fake funeral held over the weekend near the city of Liege, the man who was supposed to have been deceased made a grand entrance on a chopper.
Mixed reactions from the congregants greeted Baerten as some of his close family members went to greet him.
He would later explain to the disquieted members the reason behind the pseudocide, asserting that his family had drifted apart and that he wanted to bring them together.
“What I see in my family often hurts me, I never get invited to anything. Nobody sees me. We all grew apart. I felt unappreciated,” Baerten said.
“That’s why I wanted to give them a life lesson and show them that you shouldn’t wait until someone is dead to meet up with them.”
The clip showed some mourners donning black attires hugging him as others watched in dismay.
Baerted, who goes by the handle @ragnar_le_fouthe, boasts more than 160,000 followers on TikTok.
