“Bring Him Home”: Eric Filmalter’s Sister Makes Plea After His Tragic Fatal Accident in US, SA Moved
- A sister shared a heartbreaking video appealing for funds to repatriate the body of her younger brother, Eric Filmalter, who died tragically in the USA
- The emotional appeal was shared on TikTok, detailing the family’s need to bring home their loved one’s remains for a dignified farewell
- Sympathetic viewers were heartbroken, expressing their support and crying while watching the slides of Eric's wedding as the crowdfunding campaign neared its R300,000 goal
Source: TikTok
A South African family's heartbreaking plea to bring home their loved one, who was tragically shot and died while working in the US, moved social media users.
The emotional video was shared on TikTok by user @dolla369, garnering widespread sympathy as the family updated the public on their nearly successful crowdfunding goal.
Eric “The Viking” Filmalter, 26, tragically lost his life in a shooting accident in the United States, prompting his loved ones to launch a massive fundraising effort to return his remains to Manzi for burial. Eric's older sister, TikTok user @dolla369, shared a moving slideshow of her brother's happy moments with his wife, family, and friends from his wedding. The heartbroken sister confirmed her belief that he is safe in the arms of their heavenly Father but added that the family also loved the body that carried him, saying they “adore the vessel that hosted his spirit for 26 years.”
A sister’s heartbreaking plea
She expressed the profound need to hold his “rough hands” one last time and say goodbye to the body that was a strong home to his spirit. TikTk usrr@dolla369's emotional plea emphasised the important need for his mother, his wife, and her to have closure through a proper burial at home. The family's goal is to raise R300,000 to cover the cost of repatriating Eric's body from the USA. In the video, the sister showed the crowdfunding page with a hopeful update: an impressive R275,090 had been donated, bringing them within close reach of their goal.
This success marks significant progress since Briefly News previously reported on the campaign when donations had just crossed the R100,000 threshold. The collective effort from the South African community has made the impossible task of bringing Eric home a reality. The sister also commented on the post, urging viewers to share the video to reach those who could help close the final funding gap.
Source: Facebook
SA responds to the update
The clip gained traction online, with sympathetic viewers offering comfort and support to the grieving family. Many viewers expressed that they were emotional, with some admitting they cried while watching the wedding slides, highlighting the loss felt even by strangers. Others reiterated the sister’s feeling, wholeheartedly supporting the need for Eric’s body to be returned home for a dignified funeral.
User @melis_fkn_smit commented:
"Stuur drukkies en liefde v almal daar en my sussie. Mis haar so so baie (Send hugs and love to everyone there and my sister. Miss her so so much)."
Kerin @Mood said:
"Tears, so beautiful, my friend ❤️."
User @𝕵𝖔𝖑𝖊𝖓𝖊 𝕾𝖈𝖍𝖚𝖑𝖙𝖟 shared:
"Sitting here crying 😢. Bring him home where he belongs."
User @Laurette Francis Grobler shared:
"Please, like, follow and repost. Thank you all so much."
Watch the TikTok video below:
3 Briefly News articles about death
- The widow of police officer Marius ‘Vlam' van der Merwe, also known as Witness D, shared a moving post expressing how she was finding it difficult to cope after he was tragically shot and killed in front of her by unidentified men.
- An uncle took his little nephew to visit his mother's grave, showing the boy tenderly touching the tombstone as if he was speaking to her.
- A woman went from bride to widow the same day after her husband was shot while returning to the wedding reception venue after dropping off relatives who were at the wedding.
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Proofreading by Kelly Lippke, copy editor at Briefly.co.za.
Source: Briefly News
