CHINA - A man from Chongqing in Southern China nearly suffocated to death after a romantic gesture to his girlfriend went wrong.

Mr Hu Seng had asked his friend to tape him into a box so he could ship himself via a courier service to his girlfriend, Li Wang. However, the romantic gesture turned into a life-threatening event for Mr Hu when the courier company mixed up the address with another delivery.

The 30-minute wait turned into a three-hour ordeal for Mr Hu.

The material of the box was reportedly too thick for him to make any breathing holes while inside and he did not want to spoil the surprise by calling for attention.

When the box arrived at Li Wang's place, his friend was poised to record the event.

However, they found Mr Hu unconscious and looking pale upon opening the package.

Subsequently, paramedics were called over to her apartment to revive him.

He admitted, "I didn't realise it would take so long."

The courier company said they would not have accepted this delivery if they had known there was a person inside.

The spokesperson said that even for animals, a special container would be used so they can breathe properly.

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