20 Timely Selfies That Were Taken Moments Before Tragedy
It’s not every day that we find an image that encapsulates the precise moment before a tragedy hits. Whenever we get them, however, they certainly become treasured materials. These images deliver a ton of emotion, and they can be quite overwhelming to come across. With this in mind, we’ve managed to compile 20 perfectly-timed photographs.
Funny Splash
First up on our list is this soon-to-be-wet image. It shows two surfers who are either returning or going to the beach. Rain can be quite a hassle especially when you’re on vacation. The brochure certainly didn’t include information about a puddle of mud! It would’ve been better if you knew that it was going to be rainy before you paid for the vacation using your credit card!
On a different take, at least the car that splashed them with gooey mud is not cheap. If we’re to look closely, the car’s brand is RAM. A young brand founded in 2010 in the US but is already serving in most parts of the world with its stunning trucks and vans.
Titanic
Have you ever wondered about what happens if a ship accidentally drops the container crate that contains your package at sea? It’s certainly going to be a hassle, considering all of the time and investment you’ve put into waiting for your package to arrive. In this photo, it may look like the containers toppled all the way over. In reality, it didn’t, and only four containers ended up in the water.
Just so you know, cargo ships usually travel 16–25 knots or 29.6-46.3 km/h. They are classified into seven categories, specifically for their sizes: ultra-large, New Panamax, Post-Panamax, Panamax, feedermax and, feeder and small feeder. When it comes to the biggest container ship in the world, according to Tracking Docket, HMM Algeciras by Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering and Samsung Heavy Industries takes the crown.
The Final Selfie
We take selfies all the time while doing the most random things, but does this guy know that it can be dangerous to take one right behind a shark? This guy certainly deserves credit for his bravery, but we only hope that he was able to live, see, and appreciate this incredibly dangerous snap!
Facts about these scary great white sharks. They are extremely fast swimmers. They can swim for more than 60 km/h, they are indeed inescapable. However, despite their fearless and voracious appeal, sharks, including this species, face more dangers from humans, than the other way around. According to various sources, 100 million sharks are being hunted every year, while less than 100 shark attacks on humans have been recorded each year.
Dangerously Close
This next selfie involves another shark, and you could say that the man on the small boat was moments away from tragedy. We certainly wouldn’t want to be paddling around a small boat with an enormous shark swimming in the waters. You could say that safety and longevity are two of the things man wants, apart from a huge savings and investments account!
Well, scary is an understatement to describe how humans feel about these great white sharks. However, there is a more dominant sea creature than them – orcas or killer whales. When it comes to the weight they are twice as heavy as sharks, at 10,000 pounds. According to Animal Hype, if these two go head-to-head, orcas will surely win as they are the true king of the deep sea.
Facing Reality
Sports easily takes credit as one of the events with the most interesting photographs. This next photo is certainly attention-grabbing, and it looks like this volleyball player’s face is about to meet the volleyball. Volleyball players do not wear any protective gears for the face, and we hope that the impact didn’t hurt her too much!
We are hoping that she is still playing after this unfortunate incident. In case someone didn’t know, this popular sport was initially played in 1895 in Massachusetts and was invented by William G. Morgan. The Philippines, on the other hand, is the country where spike and set was created during a match in 1916.
Unpredictable Visitor
Saying that this next photograph is horrifying is an understatement. Here, a bull is currently thrashing toward a crowd in what seems to be a bullfighting event. If they’re experienced fans, they’d certainly know that moving is what attracts a bull. But humans are trained to really run if there is anything dashing towards them!
Aside from being so dangerous, bulls are known to be herbivores and are the male version of cattle. Kidadl suggests that there are roughly 750 million of these powerful animals in the world. In addition, they are domesticated for their hides and meat and can live up to 25 years. There are now so many organizations who are calling for the immediate illegalization of bullfighting and there might be some degree of traction soon.
Lactose
Any encounter with a dangerous animal, including with an alligator, has the potential for tragedy. This photo shows a cop on top of his patrol car while he’s currently in a stand-off with an alligator. It’s fortunate that the cop was able to get on top of his patrol car for his and the alligator’s safety. He certainly deserves credit for his quick and excellent reaction!
Despite him having a dangerous weapon, where he was pointing it at is also significantly dangerous. When it comes to bite force, the human bite is graded 120-140 psi, while American alligators have a massive 2125 psi. Its brother, which is the saltwater crocodile, can go to an incredible 7700 psi. In a manual fight between man and animal, man will lose.
Race Tragedy
It’s normal to see tragedies at racing events, but you’d never expect to take a snap of the precise moment. In this photo, this bike racer lost his balance and found himself on the floor with his bike over him. It certainly looks to have been a tough ordeal, and we hope he’s got an excellent health insurance plan that would cover any of his injuries.
Enough with tragic incidents involving motorcycles. This time, there are fun facts about these that one needs to know. In October 2014, the record for the longest motorcycle ride in 24 hours was achieved. It was Matthew McKelvey who achieved it by running for a whopping 2,023.5 miles or 3,256.5 kilometers. That is some dedication right there.
Natural Filter
Who would’ve thought that a photo of water about to spill on someone will look like an optical illusion? This photo shows a couple who is posing for an image. They’re certainly both smiling, but we have a feeling that they won’t be smiling once the water splashes onto them. Once again, whoever took this photo deserves credit for the timely shot!
By the looks of the picture, it looks like these two are having the best time of their lives, despite the man spilling his drinks. When it comes to dating in the US, Wedding revealed that a person gets into three to five relationships before getting married. Also, there is a high number of separation cases in the US, compared with other countries.
Eye Drop
Sports certainly has a ton of memorable and snap-worthy moments, including this photo. A fan at a baseball match got hit with a baseball. It certainly looks like it hurt, and it looks like the ball landed on his eye. Being hit with a baseball is no joke, but we’re confident that it’s nothing that good health insurance can’t fix!
Injuries acquired during sports activities can actually end careers. There has been many of these, especially in high-risk sports like boxing and football. Because these are contact sports and are demanding physically, they often sustain injuries to their brain or their legs. If these do not heal right, they would no longer be able to play. Players would have to live with both physical and psychological pains.
Sneeze
This next photo shows a group of lawyers in their flashy suits posing together with a lovely lady. There’s certainly a lot of things going on, and it looks like one of these lads lost grip on the beverage they were holding. Losing grip of any beverage will certainly lead to a messy moment, and it looks like it landed straight onto the lady between them. Quite the event, huh!
Unfortunate events like this one in parties can be considered inevitable. In a group, there is at least one person who is funny, intelligent, conservative, and one that will spill a drink to another’s face. Not sure how it went down, but crossing our fingers that this did not spoil the fun.
Coincidence
You could say that this photo deserves credit for being the most unpredictable photo on our list. In this photo, two women are happily rowing the boat they’re in while a biker is headed straight towards the water. We’re just happy that the rowers were at a distance from the guy on the bicycle!
Cycling is both a sport and an exercise. It has numerous health benefits that is why a lot of people are into it. According to Better Health Channel, cycling helps give people protection against serious health conditions and it only takes two to four hours of doing it in order to feel the improvements. Doing it regularly and consistently ensures we live longer, with a better quality of life.
Broken
Baseball certainly has its fair share of player and fan interactions, but who knew that there’d be bat-fan interaction as well. In this photo, a fan gets hit by a baseball bat that was thrown at the pavilion. It certainly looks like it was thrown with force. We certainly hope that his health insurance plan covered the injuries that he got from the accident!
Moving on from this painful photo, baseball is frequently referred to as the “National Pastime.” In 1869, baseball became a professional sport and it was actually the Cincinnati Red Stockings that are considered as the very first professional baseball team. As of 2022, the New York Yankees holds the most wins with 27 World Series Titles.
Missing Wheel
This next photo is a heart-wrenching image from the racing and stunt world. This bike racer got his bike out of control, and he has nothing to do but pray for the best. In the process of doing a bike stunt, his bike lost its front wheel. Making investments in sports involve taking care of one, too. While accidents cannot be avoided, the risks can be controlled or mitigated.
Those who pass away involving motorcycles in the US are quite alarming. Among vehicles in the US, only 3% of them are motorcycles. Despite the small number, mishaps with loss of life involving them are significantly high, 13%. It’s important that one should be mindful when driving these vehicles. Wearing proper gears is highly recommended.
No Faith
Saying that this photo is jaw-dropping is a giant understatement! It shows two people on a boat and a whale jumping from the water beneath. The whale jumped beside the boat, which surely splashed the people inside it. We certainly hope that these two gentlemen look toward getting a bigger boat as an investment for their next boating trip.
Just by studying this picture, it can be said that this gigantic creature is a whale. According to Whales, there are about 40 species of them, including the massive blue whale. Unlike sharks, whales do not attack humans. It is a common misconception, but most species are actually gentle, especially the Baleen Whale, which is considered the largest animal on the planet.
Lurking
Crocodiles take credit as predators who lurk and strike where their prey can’t see them. This photo shows a crocodile patiently lurking in the water while a lady is dangerously close. We certainly hope that the crocodile changed its mind and decided to take humans off the dinner menu for that night. When in nature areas, it is always a must to remain vigilant and avoid confrontation with wild animals.
Not sure if she did not see it or the croc just doesn’t care about the human. Anyway, since the subject is about crocodiles, World Atlas revealed that there are 14 species of them on Earth. Meanwhile, Lolong is the biggest croc in history. Found in the Philippines, extending to more than 20 ft. and weighing around 1,200 lbs.
What Lies Inside
Surfers often find themselves in a dangerous situation with sharks. In this photo, a surfer rips through a big wave, but the wave shows something more sinister. There’s a silhouette of a shark that looks big enough to eat him whole. Nonetheless, the surfer deserves credit for staying calm!
Speaking of surfing, there are actually two types: long boarding and short boarding. Did you know that this water sport was discovered in 1778 in Polynesia? Captain Cook is responsible for the discovery while a man named George Freeth is considered as the first person who brought it to California. Enthusiasts would normally follow where the waves are going to be worldwide. They even have various apps to track the waves. Awesome!
Last Hug
Working in a wildlife sanctuary or national park certainly has its dangers. One of them is getting sneak-attacked by a leopard from the back of the wall. In this photo, the leopard’s paw is dangerously close to the human’s face, and it looks like it’s going to draw blood. One wrong move and the leopard can pounce hard.
In case one is still confused about the differences between leopards, cheetahs, and jaguars, one should memorize their distinct markings. Leopard’s spots are like rosettes, while jaguars also have these flower-like markings but are more disintegrated and have solid black spots inside. Cheetahs, on the other hand, have solid black prints. Whatever species, it is always a bad idea to get caught up and be prey to them.
Paparazzi Waterfall
Next up on our list is this hilarious snap where we see a lady cheering on while at a concert. There’s a glass filled with water that’s about to hit her, and the spill creates lovely forms mid-air. She’s also all smiles for the cameras, ignorant that she’s about to get splashed. Once again, credit to the photographer for this timely photo!
One thing that is also worth noting is that there are numerous phones that might have contacted the spilled water. Hoping that these are water-resistant, or else they might need a new one. According to The Guardian, 25% of smartphone owners have destroyed or damaged their phones with water and other liquid. Silicone cases are indeed highly suggested. Might as well buy a waterproof or water-resistant phone.
Final Destination
Finally, number one on our list is this, which drew inspiration from the famous thriller franchise Final Destination. In this photo, tree logs from the truck in front are about to ram the car from where the image was taken. It certainly looks like it was a dangerous situation, and we hope the lady behind the wheel managed to survive!
No wonder many drivers are more cautious about these trucks being in front of them. Anyway, the first offering of Final Destination was released in 2000. It was a huge hit, grossing over $112 million worldwide. As of 2022, there are already five movies on this franchise, while the sixth is in the works. Those who made investments on the first film sure are reaping the returns now.