It might sound completely mad, but this guy actually buried himself alive, although the reason behind it is incredible.
For many people, the idea of laying down inside a coffin – alive – would be the stuff of nightmares, but for John Edwards, it was all for a greater cause.
In footage from charity Walking Free, the pensioner can be seen kissing his wife farewell, before laying down inside a coffin in a churchyard in Belfast.
The lid was shut and soil dumped onto his grave, but John is alive and well inside his casket and will be spending three days down there for a fantastic cause.
John is a former addict who set up the charity Walking Free, to support those with addiction and who are suicidal and hopes his time in the grave will help raise awareness of this.
John said to Belfast Live:
I’m a former addict and I’ve been clean and sober for 25 years.
I’m making a very large coffin, I’m burying it in East Belfast and I’m going to live in it for three days.
Even though the idea of being shut into a coffin, under the earth for three whole days sounds terrifying, it’s not all that bad, as he has enough room to sit up and has electricity and internet.
During his time in the coffin, John will be live-streaming his experiences to the Walking Free website and Facebook and will be receiving texts and calls from around the world.
He hopes people will share their stories with him and his feed will be broadcast to millions suffering with similar problems, enabling them to share their stories.
He explained to Belfast Live:
I know this is a radical move but people are continually contacting me who are either suicidal or who know friends or family who are.
People will communicate with me how they have navigated and overcome trauma, suicide attempts, coping with addicted children or family members as well as addiction to substance and behaviour.
My plan is to speak to them from the grave before they get there and show them hope.
Here’s a video from one of his streams:
John’s a brave man, but then it’s such a worthy cause.
To follow John’s experience’s from beyond the grave or to get in touch, follow him on Twitter, or use the hashtag #GraveChat.
