Dead man gets one last motorcycle ride

A group of friends took the body of their murdered pal out of his coffin to give him one last ride on a motorbike as a bizarre send-off in Ecuador. The body of Erick Cedeno was removed from its coffin by a group of his friends in Portoviejo, in Manabi Province.

Friends of Erick Cedeno form a “dead man sandwich” on a motorcyle to give him one last ride.

Cedeno, 21, died last weekend after reportedly being shot by two assailants while on his way, ironically, to attend a funeral.  Video footage shows the group removing Cedeno from his wooden coffin and carrying his body to a waiting motorcycle.

He is then positioned behind the bike’s rider, and another friend then sat behind him to ensure the body didn’t fall off during the ride. As the men are moving Cedeno’s body, a large crowd is also seen to have gathered to observe the bizarre scene.

The motorbike then drives off down a road and some of the friends who helped set the send-off up can be seen cheering and raising their hands in the air. The newspaper La Repubica also reports that the friends poured alcoholic drinks on Cedeno’s coffin when he was later turned to new confines.

The group claim they received permission from Cedeno’s parents for the send-off but authorities slammed the incident as “aberrant.” None of those involved in removing Cedeno’s body from his coffin have been arrested by the authorities. Due to his funeral being considered a private function, an investigation into the incident has not been opened.

In some parts of the world, digging up dead relatives is seen as a traditional custom, with those removed from graves washed and sometimes dressed in new clothes.

The reporter for La Republica said the affair would have “made Bernie proud”, referring to the U.S. black comedy film, “Weekend at Bernie’s.”