What happens after we say cheese? The subjects of the following photographs probably didn’t predict the answer to be a morbid plot twist. We have all seen post-tragedy photos of terrible accidents. Yet, there is something particularly ominous and haunting about photos taken before disaster.
Think smiling families, groups embarking on explorations, and daring stunt attempts, not in the least expecting to be caught in a natural disaster or a horrific plane crash. Some of these pictures appear so unassuming and cheerful that it makes what followed all the more horror story-like.
William Shakespeare famously said, “Men at some times are masters of their fate,” but as you will see in the following photos taken before disaster, this is not always the case. Scroll down below with caution to see the Bored Panda round-up of some of the most creepy images that precede unfortunate events.
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Mount St. Helen Eruption
On May 18, 1980, Robert Landsberg, a freelance photographer, was just four miles away from Mount St. Helen. He had spent some time in the vicinity, exploring the beautiful vistas prior to the fatal event. This photo, showing the wall of ash that formed after the eruption, was the last one he took. Landsberg managed to hide the film with the photos before disaster struck on it under his body, leaving this as a piece of documentation of the events.
The Crew Of The Challenger Space Shuttle
This is one of the last pictures before the disaster of the Challenger shuttle. The image shows all of the seven Challenger Shuttle crew members as they are boarding the vessel on January 28, 1986. The Challenger broke apart 73 seconds into its flight, ultimately killing all of the seven crew members.
1976 Ebola Outbreak
Mayinga N’Seka, a nurse, is depicted here during an Ebola outbreak In 1976. The outbreak happened in Zaire, where 318 cases and 280 deaths were documented (88% fatality rate). Her dedication meant that she eventually contracted the disease herself and passed away not long after.
The Omagh Bombing
The Omagh Bombing was a car bombing that occurred on August 15, 1998, in the town of Omagh in Northern Ireland. It was carried out by the Real Irish Republican Army. The blast took away the lives of 29 people, including that of a woman pregnant with twins, and injured over 200 others. The man and the child in the image that precedes unfortunate events survived, but the photographer didn’t.
Giant space Tiger - I'm from Northern Ireland- lived through the troubles and the situation is extremely complex. Best not to make political comments on a situation you don't understand. We are just grateful that those days have passed and we can go about our lives without worrying about being blown up or shot.
The Tragedy Of Keith Sapsford
On February 20, 1970, a 14-year-old Australian teen named Keith Sapsford snuck into the Sydney Airport and hid in the wheel well of a plane en route to Japan. Keith was described as a curious kid, and this was his attempt at an adventure. However, soon after the plane took off, a tragedy struck, and Keith’s 200ft plunge to death was accidentally documented by John Gilpin, an amateur photographer, who happened to be testing his new camera lens at that time and took this haunting photo before a disaster.
I've always wondered: if you were to fall like that, would you die upon hitting the ground or would you have a heart attack or something while falling? Can anyone tell me?
Columbine High School Massacre
On April 20, 1999, a shooting and an attempted bombing took place at the Columbine High School in Columbine, Colorado. The photos taken before disaster show William “Dave” Sanders guiding over 100 students out of the cafeteria to safety. While he did save those students, he was later shot twice in the chest and did not survive.
Uruguayan Flight 571
This is the last image of the infamous Uruguayan Flight 571, right before it crashed in the Andes on October 13, 1972. 27 out of 45 people survived the initial crash. However, they were eventually forced to cannibalize the dead to stay alive. Out of the 27 who survived the crash, 16 were rescued 72 days later.
The Malaysia Airlines Flight 17
Dave Hally took one last photo of his wife and their 4-year-old daughter aboard the MH17 flight that was supposed to take them on their dream vacation from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur. The plane was shot down shortly after its take-off while flying over a Russian-controlled part of eastern Ukraine. The tragedy took the lives of all 283 passengers and 15 crew members, and this is one of the last pictures before the disaster.
I remember this happening because it was a huge atrocity and because there were a lot of people on board heading to a conference on AIDS. So doctors, researchers, and a lot of people who were working towards a cure.
The Crash Of The 235 Flight
A dash cam captured the moments right before TransAsia’s flight 235 crashed in the Keelung River in Taiwan. The plane carried 58 people, and only 15 of them survived. The crash was deemed to be the mistake of the pilots.
The Eagles Of Death Metal Concert
Gilles Leclerc and Marianne Labanane took a selfie at the Bataclan Theatre while waiting to see the performance of The Eagles of Death Metal. Moments later, four terrorists stormed into the theater and started shooting, ultimately killing 90 people. Gilles was killed in the attack, but Marianne, shielded by Gilles, survived.
I've heard about them. The man protected his girlfriend by throwing her to the ground out of harms way when the gunman started shooting. She survived thanks to his quick reflexes and selflessness. A true hero.
The Tragedy Of Robert Overcracker
Robert Overcracker was a professional stuntman who wanted to raise awareness for the homeless. So, in 1995, he decided to drive a jet ski over Niagara Falls to get the needed attention. One of these photos taken before disaster caught the moment as his parachute failed to deploy, ultimately sending Robert to his demise.
Which is why you need a reserve parachute. And a reserve reserve parachute. And a reserve reserve reserve parachure.
Last Moments Of Harambe
Harambe, a 17-year-old silverback gorilla, was shot after an incident involving a kid falling into his enclosure. The tragic events sparked a lot of talk on the internet, with many condemning the conduct of the zookeepers, saying the gorilla was shot without justification. In the image, you can see the last moments before Harambe’s death in Cincinnati Zoo in 2016.
The fault is of the parents, not keeping an eye on their child. Harambe may have been dangerous, but so is letting your child wander around at that age. They should have been supervising.
Moments Before A Bear Attack
West Milford took this photo on what was supposed to be a calm and relaxing hike in New Jersey. In fact, West was killed by the bear minutes after taking one of these haunting images that precede unfortunate events.
Nicholas Mevoli After His Last Free Dive
Nicholas Mevoli, a professional free diver, was attempting to dive 236 ft deep. He successfully completed the dive, surfaced, gave the OK sign, tried to speak, and then passed out. He never regained consciousness and died the same day from a pulmonary edema (a fluid buildup in the lungs).
Last Picture Of Ayano Tokumasu
This unsuspecting family snapped the last moments of Ayano’s (dressed in red) life. In the following moments, Ayano threw herself over the railings outside Niagara Falls to her death.
Is it just me or is it a lot sadder to know she didn’t try to jump over?
Load More Replies...she actually didn't commit suicide, ''Police said surveillance footage from a nearby visitors center showed a young woman holding an umbrella, straddling a safety railing and looking at the falls. It appeared as if she was having her picture taken by a friend. But when she got up to climb back over the railing, she lost her balance and slipped into the rushing waters near the brink of Horseshoe Falls.'' -The Star
Has this picture been cropped from its original? It's so odd that the couple is not centered as the subject of the image as if the photographer was deliberately trying to capture the girl in red as well. I wonder if the original image was wider and eventually cropped to better show that they had also captured the suicide victim.
The photo was taken by a 12 year old, and it was not a suicide!
Load More Replies...Thanks for the info. But, shouldn't she had been behind it, not sitting there?
Load More Replies...If you google the various news reports on this, it appears it was accidental, not suicide as suggested by the title of this post
the title doesn't suggest suicide.. just saying falls to her death. :/
Load More Replies...She actually fell, it's still horribly sad, but the caption is wrong
I'm from Niagara Falls. She lost her umbrella and went over the railing to try and retrieve it. There's a bit of a grassy outcrop at the spot so perhaps she thought it was safe? Regardless, I can't believe no one was hollering at her to get back over.
I read that she accidentally fell off after posing for her pic to be taken?
This is a lesson to all of us. We might not know what is happening in the minds of people around us but their actions will show. The will be moment that we can sense it and do something but if certain things are more important, we will miss it and what we could have prevented turned out to be death. Love your neighbors as yourself
i've heard many stories of her, it truly saddens me but my question is did she die by suicide or because she lost her footing?
She didn't throw herself over, she slipped off the rock once she climbed over to get a better look.
or was it her just look at the girl in the black shirt are you sure that that girl didnt do that and the other just jumped off
superman from the second couldnt save her this time RIP Child may heaven touch you
This is so sad. she was so young aswell. This photos proves that death is happening all around us, even if we don't realize This got really deep.
though to be fair if ya saw someone standing like where she is OVER the railing (esp to the lady in yellow) wouldnt ya think thats weird or suspicous ?? like Id be grabbing for her if I was yellow shirt lady like Hey woman GET DOWN OFF that railing
What do you have against the lady in the yellow shirt ? Hell , the black shirt lady is way closer..lol.The yellow shirt lady you can tell isn't paying her any mind..probably didn't even notice the lady in the red standing there , you can tell she is intently focused on something other than the girl.I just think its hilarious how stupid you make yourself sound...judgemental much ??? ...hey..its fair.I personally would not think it was weird or suspicious that someone would be standing that close and I would probably knock the hell out of a stranger if they grabbed me and told me to get down.Some people dont have a fear of heights.I do but that is besides the point.The point is : Shut up and Get a life Rachael K...you sound stupid and like you have formed an opinion of the yellow shirt lady..you judged the lady like you are God and you clearly are not.God bless you !
Load More Replies...Check out this article, it gives a bit more info. https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/mobile/body-pulled-from-niagara-river-identified-as-student-1.685887
The sadest part is, by all means, that batman was there but didn't do a s**t :(
Not a suicide. Per huff post article: "According to eyewitnesses, Tokumasu had climbed over the railing and straddled it to look at the falls. When she stood up, the student apparently lost her footing and fell into the river 24 metres upstream from the brink of the falls. The swift current swept her over."
They were next to her and didn't notice her on the ledge. So very sad.
What hurts is how everyone looks so normal, completely unaware. As people separated form the situation we often think "How could they let that happen, how could they not know?" And yet happen it does, so frequently.
Because people aren't constantly expecting the worst to happen. It's just not a healthy way to live. Sure, someone could've said "hey, that's very dangerous, you shouldn't do that", but we are also so very programmed against interacting with each other when we think it's none of our business. We see people say that all the time: "shut up, it's none of your business".
Load More Replies...Is this one different from the umbrella incident? Another Japanese student died.
So sad. I am all too familiar with crippling suicidal depression.
But why aren't they in the center? It almost look like as if they wanted to take a picture with someone who's about to commit suicide. Disgusting behaviour.
Because it was taken by a 12 year old. It was also not a suicide.
Load More Replies...Archduke Ferdinand And His Wife Sophie
The last picture of Archduke Ferdinand, the heir of the Austro-Hungarian throne, and his wife Sophie, was taken about an hour before the assassination of the Archduke took place. The killing was done by a Bosnian-Serb nationalist, Gavrilo Princip, in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and his actions ultimately triggered the beginning of WWI.
it's incredible how he was actually killed. An assassin had tried to throw a bomb under their passing car, but it missed and exploded the car behind, the assassin then took his cyanide pill, but it was faulty and just caused him to throw up (a lot) so he panicked and threw himself in the river, but it had been a long hot summer, so the river was shallow... Ferdinand then was rushed away but later wanted to go and see the survivors or the earlier bomb, it was when he was on his way there that he was shot.
Pacific Southwest Airlines Flight 182
In 1978, Pacific Southwest Airlines Flight 182 from Sacramento tragically crashed into a small private Cessna 172. After the collision, the 182 fell down, and this image captured the moment before it hit the ground. 137 people on the airplanes were killed, as well as 7 watching the event take place on the ground.
Japan Air Lines Flight 123
Japan Air Lines Flight 123 was supposed to be a domestic flight from Tokyo to Osaka, Japan. On August 12, 1985, the Boeing 747 suffered a severe malfunction 12 minutes into the flight, and after flying for another 32 minutes under minimal control, crashed near Tokyo. Out of 524 people on the flight, only 4 ultimately survived.
I am honestly curious how 4 people managed to survive. That is incredible luck.
Christopher McCandless’s Last Self-Portrait
Christopher McCandless (the man from “Into The Wild” story) was an American adventurer. His last adventure took place in the Alaskan bush, where he stayed in an abandoned bus for over 100 days. His decomposing body was found in 1992 by moose hunters, with starvation later determined as the cause of his death (although that’s still debated). This is one of the last pictures before disaster.
And now people who are "inspired" by the book have to be rescued from their own lack of preparation. They obviously didn't think about what happened IRL
Pavel Kashin’s Deadly Trick
Parkour enthusiast, Pavel Kashin, is depicted in this photo while attempting to perform a trick that ultimately led to his death. He was trying to do a backflip to the wall but soon lost his balance and fell to the ground.
James Dean Before His Crash
James Dean, a Hollywood actor, is pictured here filling up the tank of his Porsche 550 Spyder not long before he crashed it and died on September 30, 1955. Although the car was totaled, the salvageable parts were sold, only to cause several accidents later on. This spurred the myth that the car was actually cursed.
The car was totaled when he crashed - there's no way it was "involved" in later accidents.
One Of The Last Known Pictures Of Titanic Afloat
Titanic, the biggest cruise liner of its time, sank on April 15, 1912, after it collided with an iceberg. There were an estimated 2,224 passengers and crew aboard. More than 1,500 of them did not survive the collision.
The Concorde Crash
On July 25, 2000, Air France flight 4590, a Concorde passenger jet bound for New York from Paris, crashed shortly after its takeoff. The plane’s engines caught on fire, and the crash took the lives of 113 people in total. Although it was the only fatal accident in 27 years of Concordes being operated, they were all grounded after the crash, soon to be retired and never to fly again altogether.
It killed Concorde, too. Not just that one - all the planes were mothballed soon after. Now if you want to fly supersonic you need to be Military :(
Diana, Princess Of Wales
One of the last photos of Diana, Princess of Wales, was taken by paparazzi chasing her car on the fatal night of the crash that took her and Dodi Al Fayed’s lives. She’s seen in the back of the car with her head turned. In front on the left is her bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones, and on the right, the driver Henri Paul (who was later found to be driving drunk). This is one of the photos taken before the disaster on the night of August 31, 1997, just before the fatal crash.
George Mallory And Andrew “Sandy” Irvine On Their Mount Everest Conquest
George Mallory was an experienced mountaineer, and this wasn’t his first attempt to scale the summit of Mt. Everest in 1924. However, this attempt was fatal. And while the body of Andrew “Sandy” Irvine has never been recovered, Mallory’s remains were found 75 years after his demise by an expedition set for this task in 1999.
Paul Walker
In this image, you can see Paul Walker, a beloved Hollywood actor known for his role in the Fast and Furious series, climbing into the car that eventually crashed, taking his and his driver’s lives in 2013.
Ricardo miller posthumously awarded Paul Walker his bjj black belt. Already a brown belt at the time of his passing, his coach thought nothing would,stop him from receiving his,black belt. This was a real honorable gesture by his,coaches part and a real cool thing to do
The Fatal Show Of The Great White
The photo was taken moments before a tragedy struck at the Great White band concert at The Station nightclub in West Warwick, R.I., on February 20, 2003. The pyrotechnics seen on stage are about to set the whole club in flames and kill more than 100 people.
The Televised Trial Of R. Budd Dwyer
R. Budd Dwyer was the treasurer of Pennsylvania between 1981–87 before being accused of bribery and withholding taxes. He shot himself on his televised trial, watched by millions. This is one of the last images of him.
Joseph Avery’s Niagara River Crash
The reason why this photo is so blurry is because it was taken on July 18, 1853. In the image, you can see Joseph Avery, the sole survivor of a boat crash that killed two other passengers, clinging to a rock to be saved. He stayed this way for 18 hours, and when the rescue boat came, it capsized just as he boarded it, ultimately ending Avery’s life. It’s probably one of the oldest photos taken before disaster.
It feels very odd to look at these. They are historical documents in a way, looking at them yet feels wrong in a strange way. Anyone else with ambivalent feelings?
Personally - I would feel so bad had I captured a picture inadvertantly seconds before something dreadful happened to a person in the frame - i would actually feel guilty and never want to see it again
Load More Replies...Disturbing. I feel happy to be alive right now. Not everyone is so lucky.
I find this insensitive in some way and distributing. Not sure that's how those individuals would want to remember their last moments. Are their families aware that toots is even being posted? Sad and tragic.
Wow. These are so eerie, its hard to look at them. It gives me chills just to think about what happened just after these photos were taken.
Different strokes, I guess. I wanna see funny and clever and cute things, not tragedy. I wondered if the title was ironic or something which is why I clicked. Nope, and I'm out.
Load More Replies...So do I. I'm not a sick little puppy by any means, but I love history. I'm interested in these sort of things.
Load More Replies...For a twist on this type of thing have a look at the retouched Girl with the Pierced Earlobe. It's now been made into the girl with a COVID face mask
Forces us to face the fact that every moment we live could be the last!
Looks like just a post but it contains #FakeNews and spreads #propaganda. MH17 is shot by one of sides and the answer is not found yet.
I really don't like this article. These pictures are important, either historically or to the family and loved ones of the people involved, but putting them up like this in a list to be gawked over feels obscene. Please no more content like this. I come to Bored Panda for encouragement and cheer, not clickbait.
this is serious question - how could an ambulance service depart a suicide call leaving over 50 boxes of lethal lmediction in the house?
I regret being born in '72, that I witnessed so many of these happening in real time. It doesn't matter that it wss on tv or the newspaper. It was still reallife. And there are too many that didn't make the list. San Fransisco 6.9 earthquake, Oct, 1989. The Kansas City Regency Hotel walkway collapse, July 17, 1981. Rana Plaza collapse April 4, 2013.
They are interesting, not sick. And they are very informative. Why should we shield our eyes away from inevitable disasters that have cost people their lives? If anything they are educational and a part of our history. Things like this should not be forced into taboo as that's exactly how fragile minds are formed.
Load More Replies...but she WAS hunted -- by many many people - for profit. Thankfully a lesson was learned and history will not repeat
Load More Replies...I disagree, and so does, well, the meaning of the word tragedy. trag·e·dy ˈtrajədē/Submit noun 1. an event causing great suffering, destruction, and distress, such as a serious accident, crime, or natural catastrophe.
Load More Replies...Are there Ads on here? - never noticed - guess the advertisers are wasting money
Load More Replies...It feels very odd to look at these. They are historical documents in a way, looking at them yet feels wrong in a strange way. Anyone else with ambivalent feelings?
Personally - I would feel so bad had I captured a picture inadvertantly seconds before something dreadful happened to a person in the frame - i would actually feel guilty and never want to see it again
Load More Replies...Disturbing. I feel happy to be alive right now. Not everyone is so lucky.
I find this insensitive in some way and distributing. Not sure that's how those individuals would want to remember their last moments. Are their families aware that toots is even being posted? Sad and tragic.
Wow. These are so eerie, its hard to look at them. It gives me chills just to think about what happened just after these photos were taken.
Different strokes, I guess. I wanna see funny and clever and cute things, not tragedy. I wondered if the title was ironic or something which is why I clicked. Nope, and I'm out.
Load More Replies...So do I. I'm not a sick little puppy by any means, but I love history. I'm interested in these sort of things.
Load More Replies...For a twist on this type of thing have a look at the retouched Girl with the Pierced Earlobe. It's now been made into the girl with a COVID face mask
Forces us to face the fact that every moment we live could be the last!
Looks like just a post but it contains #FakeNews and spreads #propaganda. MH17 is shot by one of sides and the answer is not found yet.
I really don't like this article. These pictures are important, either historically or to the family and loved ones of the people involved, but putting them up like this in a list to be gawked over feels obscene. Please no more content like this. I come to Bored Panda for encouragement and cheer, not clickbait.
this is serious question - how could an ambulance service depart a suicide call leaving over 50 boxes of lethal lmediction in the house?
I regret being born in '72, that I witnessed so many of these happening in real time. It doesn't matter that it wss on tv or the newspaper. It was still reallife. And there are too many that didn't make the list. San Fransisco 6.9 earthquake, Oct, 1989. The Kansas City Regency Hotel walkway collapse, July 17, 1981. Rana Plaza collapse April 4, 2013.
They are interesting, not sick. And they are very informative. Why should we shield our eyes away from inevitable disasters that have cost people their lives? If anything they are educational and a part of our history. Things like this should not be forced into taboo as that's exactly how fragile minds are formed.
Load More Replies...but she WAS hunted -- by many many people - for profit. Thankfully a lesson was learned and history will not repeat
Load More Replies...I disagree, and so does, well, the meaning of the word tragedy. trag·e·dy ˈtrajədē/Submit noun 1. an event causing great suffering, destruction, and distress, such as a serious accident, crime, or natural catastrophe.
Load More Replies...Are there Ads on here? - never noticed - guess the advertisers are wasting money
Load More Replies...