Man in full funeral attire spotted paddling in coffin on lake next to a hospice

AUSTRALIA: Terminally ill patients have been left traumatised after a man paddled on the water of a lake dressed as an undertaker - yards from a hospice.

Relatives of those receiving end of life care at the hospice have slammed the man for his actions after he took to the water in the Australian capital of Canberra, using a coffin for a stand-up paddle board.

The stunt took place on the misty waters of Lake Burley Griffin near to the Clare Holland House hospice which sits on the edge of the water.

Patients could see the man make his way across the lake from the windows of their rooms, prompting their relatives to describe his actions as inappropriate and insensitive, reports the Canberra Times.

Others were left confused and freaked out by the the man and his bizarre vessel, which was decorated with brightly-coloured plastic flowers.

Jeanne Mclauchlan, was left baffled when she witnessed the stunt.

"In the distance we noticed a figure emerge from the thick fog.

"It was a figure of a man dressed in a tuxedo and top hat on a stand-up-paddle coffin, complete with flowers, paddling toward us," she told the Canberra Times.

There has been several sightings of the man dressed in funeral attire paddling on the water.

Hundreds took to Twitter to share images following the latest sighting on Thursday.

Rumours indicate that the man behind the stunt is kayaker Tom Simmat, who denied it was a publicity stunt but hasn't yet revealed a clear motive.

He has previously been spotted paddling a coffin, such as when he took part in a charity canoeing event in Australia last year, reports Mashable.

The website claims to have received an email from Tom's account identifying himself as "The Lost undertaker" in which he describes himself as being shy and not a publicity seeker.

It adds: "His purpose is to give hope to the oppressed and put the fear of God into the oppressors, villains and rogues that surround us all."