In the never-ending pursuit of the ultimate shot people literally risk their lives. Today is World Photo Day and earlier this month, a man fell 8,000 feet to his death while posing for a picture on a ledge at Machu Picchu. So, how far would you go to get that killer shot? Take this in. In 2015, more people died from taking selfies than from shark attacks.
From falling down the steps of the Taj Mahal to being struck by lightning, Rolling Stone highlighted some most disturbing stories of selfies gone wrong…
Lightning Striking
An English hiker was struck by lightning in 2015 while trekking through the Brecon Beacons National Park in Wales. Authorities believe that the metal rod very well could have have attracted the electrical bolt.
Flying Selfie
A pilot, Amritpal Singh, lost control of the airplane in Colorado while posing to take a selfie. The Cessna 150 crashed into a nearby wheat field, killing both himself and another passenger upon impact. A GoPro camera was discovered revealing more footage of the pilot taking mid-flight selfies at low altitudes.
Up in Flames
An 18-year-old Romanian girl, Anna Urso decided to lie down on the roof of the stationary train car to take “the ultimate selfie”. When she reached up with one of her legs to pose, but she hit an overhead live wire that shocked her with 27,000 volts and she immediately burst into flames and was pronounced dead with burns on over half her of her body.
Taj Mahal Fall
A 66-year-old Japanese tourist lost his balance and fell backwards to his death down the steps of the Taj Mahal in September 2015. The man had reportedly been trying to take a selfie at the Royal Gate. Onlookers watched on as the injured manwas carried off by paramedics. He suffered severe head trauma from the fall and died in the hospital.
Last Bridge
A 17-year-old Russian teenager fell off a 30-foot railway bridge in St. Petersburg while attempting to get the perfect shot. Xenia Ignatyeva lost her balance and when she reached for a hanging cable, it turned out to be a live wire that electrocuted her. She plummeted to her death. Horrifyingly, Ignatyeya’s body fell next to her friend who was waiting for her at the bottom of the bridge.
Cliff Diving
A Polish couple’s two young children watched as their parents climbed over the safety barrier and fell to their deaths while taking a selfie on a cliff in Cabo da Roca, Portugal. They took a step backwards to angle their shot and tumbled off of the edge. The traumatized children, ages five and six, were put into the care of Polish diplomats after witnessing the horrific scene.
Killer Walrus
A Chinese businessman named Jia Lijun tried to take a selfie with a one-and-a-half-ton walrus at a zoo in Liaoning province, China. The man was a big fan of this particular walrus, having previously sent photos and videos of it to his friends and family. As the man entered the gated housing area to snap a photo with the female walrus, she grabbed him from behind and dragged him into the pool. Both Lijun and the zookeeper, who had cared for the walrus since she was a baby, were drowned, who was only trying to play and give them a “hug.”
Deadly Current
Chezka Agas, a 17-year-old engineering student from the Philippines, was swept into the ocean during a birthday gathering. She was part of a group of engineering students and several of the party guests were injured too, but only Agas was drowned in the wave. Her mother said Agas had been looking forward to the event for weeks.
No Bullsh*t
A 32 year-old man was gored to death during the 2014 annual running with the bulls in Pamplona, Spain. When David Gonzalez Lopez left the audience-protected area to capture a selfie in front of two bulls about to collide, a third bull ran from behind and fatally pierced Gonzalez’s neck and thigh.
(via Rolling Stone)
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