Is this the cruellest proposal ever? (Screencap) More

By Yahoo! 7

When proposing to your girlfriend, it's always best to scare the hell out of her first.

That seems to be the lesson from this video, which is fast on its way to becoming a viral hit.

What appears to be a stock-standard video of a man lovingly proposing to his girlfriend, quickly turns into a horror movie when he plummets four storeys to almost certain death.

The video starts out with all the hallmarks of a sappy proposal, as the man asks his friends to gather around for an important announcement.

"My beautiful girlfriend Brooke and I have been together for a while now... I think it's about time I ask her a very important question."

Things take a turn however when he calls for a friend to pass him the ring.

The throw is a little wayward and the man strains to make the catch, losing his balance, and falling from the edge of the building.

The look of horror is clear on his girlfriend's face, as she runs to the edge to look down on what is almost certainly her now former boyfriend.

But things aren't quite as they seem, as you'll see in the video below.

Is this the cruellest proposal ever? Leave a comment below to let us know what you think.

The video is quickly becoming an online hit, but many are sceptical about its authenticity.

Sceptics point to the bottles being held by the 'stars' of the video which all appear to be facing the camera, as proof that this is merely a stunt.