Family gathered at a funeral to mourn their loved one. Then he showed up in a helicopter

People often try their best to express their love to their dear ones before it’s too late. Many are encouraged to be kind and thoughtful for this reason. No one wants to face regret for not having done enough for their loved ones while they were alive. David Baerten shared a reminder of the same to his family by rendering a rather unusual experience for them. The man mentioned that he felt unappreciated by a few relatives and wanted to teach them and his family the importance of being in touch, as per the Independent.

One of his loved ones, Thomas (@el.tiktokeur2), shared what Baerten decided to do. The man faked his own death and didn’t fill anyone in on his plan. The video captured several people at the man’s funeral. Many were weeping inconsolably while others stood in silence, mourning subtly. A few seconds later, the crowd was surprised to see a helicopter arriving at the scene. In the middle of the funeral, they were interrupted by the loud whirring of the helicopter that landed just a few steps away from the crowd. Many people walked over to see what the reason for the commotion was.

As soon as they got near, they were stunned to spot Baerten himself in the helicopter. The very man they had been mourning for was now alive and well before their eyes. People immediately ran towards him and hugged him. Even those who saw him from afar, let out a sigh of relief and smiled in delight. The man had mainly pulled off the stunt to give his family and loved ones a reality check, according to The Times. He mentioned that he was hurt by their ignorance and the fact that they took his and the presence of others for granted.

“Nobody sees me. We all grew apart. I felt unappreciated. 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.” Baerten revealed that the stunt also gave him an understanding of who really cared about him. He mentioned that only half of the people he knew showed up for his funeral. However, there were a few who contacted him and others who came to know that he was living and made sure to reach out to him. “That proves who really cares about me,” he said. Those who didn’t come did contact me to meet up. So in a way, I did win,” he recalled.

People had mixed feelings about the man’s prank. Many thought he toyed with the emotions of those who had to experience the grief of death for real. Others agreed that it was a much-needed reminder to express love to loved ones while they were alive. @alimsbeauty wrote, “Boy who cried wolf. If he actually dies, people may not show up to his funeral.” @w33ce added, “Feels like all he needed was a reminder that they still loved him.” @malcomsway remarked, “That’s a chess move. This man is a genius.” @dy5edawzbriz wrote, “So no right…the grief and pain he caused people.”

You can follow Thomas (@el.tiktokeur2) on TikTok for more content on lifestyle and relationships. 

This article originally appeared 3 months ago.