In a prank of a lifetime, David Baerten, a 45-year-old Belgian man, faked his own death and made an unexpected appearance at his funeral in a helicopter. Along with his wife and children, Baerten planned the stunt to test who genuinely cared about him. His daughter took to social media to spread the news, writing a tribute to her father saying, “Rest in peace, Daddy. I will never stop thinking about you.”
The fake funeral was held near the city of Liege last weekend, attended by many friends and family members dressed in black. When the helicopter arrived, Baerten stepped out and greeted them with “Cheers to you all, welcome to my funeral,” according to the Times. While some were relieved to see him alive, others remained confused. Baerten explained his prank was an attempt to show those who had not been supportive of him that they should not wait until someone is dead to meet up with them.
Since the stunt, many of Baerten’s loved ones have reached out to him, proving to him who truly cared about him. Baerten has yet to release a full video of the funeral, though another TikTok user posted a video of the reactions of the helicopter landing and Baerten hugging a “mourner” who was in tears during the embrace.