Proposing at another person's wedding is widely considered tacky, but dying at someone's funeral? Those are uncharted grounds.
Man Fatally Plummets Into Gravesite While Attending Friend’s Funeral
A Brazilian man has died after falling into his father's grave moments before attending the funeral of a friend.
Adilson Marsaro, 48, attended a funeral on Wednesday for his friend who died in a road accident at the São José Municipal Cemetery in Linhares, Brazilian outlet O Globo reported.
Moments before his friend's service began, Marsaro went to his father's gravesite at the same cemetery and sat on his tombstone.
According to local outlets, the concrete tombstone crumbled under his weight, causing Marsaro to fall into a nearby grave shaft.
Nearby mourners heard a loud crash after his plummet and called emergency responders.
Man Dies After Falling to Father's Grave Site
Medical personnel from the SAMU ambulance service and local firefighters rushed to the scene. Firefighters extracted the victim's body from the collapsed tomb. Unfortunately, medical responders confirmed he had died at the scene from his injuries.
He was buried in the same cemetery the following day.
Linhares City Hall released a statement, urging residents to take "extra precautions" at graveyards as the Day of the Dead approaches.
"The Municipality of Linhares regrets what happened this Wednesday afternoon (21), at the São José Cemetery, in the Interlagos neighborhood, and expresses its solidarity with family and friends at this time of grief," Linhares City Hall said in a statement to A Gazeta.
"With the approach of the Day of the Dead holiday, an increase in traffic is expected at the city's cemeteries. Therefore, the city government is reinforcing the importance of taking extra precautions during visits," the statement continued.
The Day of the Dead (Dia de Finados) is a national holiday celebrated annually on Nov. 2 in Brazil. Unlike the Mexican version, Dia de Los Muertos, Dia de Finados is a solemn holiday filled with quiet reflection. Brazilian participants typically visit the graves of loved ones to observe the holiday.
This tradition began in the Middle Ages, around 998, with a priest named Odilo of Cluny, who asked his followers to pray for the dead on Nov. 2. Since then, it has become an annual tradition.
