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Entire family falls into grave during burial in US, man gets stuck under father’s coffin

The pallbearers suffered injuries to their legs, hands, and backs, and the deceased's son sustained the most severe injuries.

The accident took place at Greenmount Cemetery as family and friends of Benjamin Aviles gathered to lay him to rest (Image source: @CollinRugg/X)

In Pennsylvania, a group of pallbearers was sent tumbling into a grave along with the coffin they were carrying after a platform collapsed during a burial. The accident took place at Greenmount Cemetery as family and friends of Benjamin Aviles gathered to lay him to rest, Mirror reported.

Aviles, who died on March 21 from complications related to heart issues, was being buried after his funeral service when the platform plummeted, causing the pallbearers to fall into the grave.

In the viral video shared by an X user Collin Rugg, pallbearers can be seen carrying the coffin out of the SUV. As they move forward to put the deceased to the final resting place, the platform collapses, sending the men into the grave.

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The pallbearers suffered injuries to their legs, hands, and backs, and Aviles’ son, Benjamin, sustained the most severe injuries. “The casket was on top of him, and he was knocked out with his face in the mud,” Aviles’ stepdaughter, Maribelle Rodriguez, told ABC6.

The family believes the cemetery and funeral home were responsible for the accident, citing the poor condition of the platform. The report mentioned that none of the injuries were critical, and all of the pallbearers are expected to recover soon. Aviles, originally from Lares, Puerto Rico, was settled in North Philadelphia.

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NEW: Deceased man’s son gets trapped under his father’s casket after a platform collapsed, taking the entire family into the grave.

That’s unfortunate.

The incident happened at a funeral in Philadelphia for Benjamin Aviles who passed away in late March.

When the pallbearers… pic.twitter.com/0Zha1mnKnN

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) April 8, 2025

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The video garnered over three million views, igniting an array of reactions from social media users. “That was a grave mistake. Seriously though, that’s why I always carry Halls or Ricolas when I attend funerals. Because the cough drop stops the coffin,” a user wrote. “Tragic. The only positive thing to take away from this is that the son didn’t die from suffocation. But the cemetery better lawyer up ASAP,” another user commented.

“Cemetery lawsuit. Who’s digging the grave and setting up a wobbly platform?” a third user said.