Odd! Man awaits 'auspicious' death in grave, saved by police

A worker ties to pull the old man out of the grave.

A man from Guang'an, Sichuan province climbed into the grave he dug for himself on March 23 - a date he had been told by a fortune teller would be auspicious. He then proceeded to remain in the grave until he was rescued by local police and sent to hospital.

The man, Xiang Chaojie, is 72 years old. He has been suffering from esophageal cancer for several years. Though he received treatment, his condition continued to deteriorate. In the last year, Xiang asked a fortune teller about his death. The latter told him it would fall on the "auspicious" day of March 23, 2017. As a result, Xiang dug himself a grave on the mountain behind his house and patiently waited for that day to come. He even left several possessions to his friends, telling everyone he knew that he would die on that day.

The grave the old man digs for himself

When the day came, nobody other than Xiang believed the prophecy would come true. Nonetheless, his niece worried about his safety and went to visit him around 9 a.m. When she found his house vacant, she went to her uncle's grave and saw a man lying inside. Panicking, she called the police.

Police confirmed that the man inside the grave was none other than Xiang, but he didn't respond to their calls. Several onlookers spoke up, urging police to respect Xiang's wishes, but the police insisted on confirming Xiang's condition.

After entering the grave, the officers found Xiang still alive. They later extracted him from the hole and sent him to the hospital. Xiang told police he had been drinking before he entered the grave, and it was probably the alcohol that had caused him to fall asleep. He promised to cooperate with his doctor and live the rest of his life to the fullest.