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60-year-old Brazilian Baltazar Lemos faked his death to witness his funeral.

The man worked as a master of ceremonies and during his life performed hundreds of funeral ceremonies.

However, Lemos noticed that some of the dead were sent on their final journey by just a few people, while others' funerals drew hundreds of people, local media reported.

Balthazar Lemos decided to check how many people would go to say goodbye to him.

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In early January, Lemos posted on his Facebook page a photo from a hospital in Sao Paulo.

The next day, he posted a message: “On this sad day, Balthazar Lemos left us.

We will share more information soon."

The man's family were shocked by the news, and one of his nephews rushed to the hospital to find out what had happened.

However, hospital staff said they had no information about Lemos' hospitalization.

Friends of the man have already started sharing the tragic news on social networks, expressing condolences and asking about the cause of death, BTV reported.

They did not receive an explanation, but were informed of the time and place of the commemoration and funeral ceremony.

On January 18, relatives and friends of the man gathered in a small chapel in his hometown to say goodbye to him.

Suddenly Lemos's voice was heard in the hall, and many of those present began to cry.

They thought he had recorded his farewell speech in advance.

A few moments later, the altar doors opened and the "living dead" appeared before the guests.

Those present were shocked and did not know how to react.

As soon as Lemos explained that he had faked his death, the guests accused him of heartlessness for the "ridiculous prank".

Lemos claims that he did not want to hurt his loved ones, but it was the only way to know who would mourn him after death.

After news of the tasteless prank broke, many social media users compared Balthazar's spoof to scenes from Friends in which Ross Geller pulls the same stunt.

It was previously reported that an Indonesian man had tried to fake his death due to debts, but was exposed by a video showing him writhing in his own coffin.

It turned out that while he was there, he lost consciousness and then came to.

faking death