A fleeting moment of happiness before disaster: From a doomed hang gliding leap to a selfie with a wild bear - the tragic stories behind haunting last pictures
One minute, someone is smiling for a photo, capturing a moment of joy or everyday normality - then the next, disaster strikes.
These final moments, frozen in time by a camera lens, can be haunting, especially when the people pictured had no idea what was about to unfold.
Some are seen laughing with friends, enjoying the sunshine, or embarking on an adventure.
Others are surrounded by loved ones with their faces lit up with happiness.
But what the pictures don't reveal is the horror that came next.
For these people, their final minutes were filled with terror and unimaginable pain.
From holidaymakers swept to their deaths, to thrill–seekers taking one step too far, these photos and videos have become chilling reminders of how fragile life really is.
Hang–gliding disaster
This week, a video showing a man plummeting 40 metres to his death in a densely wooded area in Brazil went viral on social media.
Marcelo Arboz Diniz, 54, had just launched from the popular Morro Santo Antonio ramp in Caraguatatuba on Sunday, July 13, when disaster struck.
The chilling clip shows Diniz poised confidently on the edge of the mountain as his hang–glider lifts off into the open sky.
At first, he dips low, briefly appearing to falter, before rising back up as he begins to bank and turn.
But within seconds, the craft begins to lose altitude.
Diniz makes another attempt to steer, but the glider suddenly veers and drops, smashing through treetops at terrifying speed before crashing out of sight.
Rescuers raced to the crash site but found the pilot's body deep within a hard-to-reach area of thick forest.
He was pronounced dead at the scene, having suffered multiple fractures in the fall.
Local witnesses suspect that a critical equipment failure, possibly in the hang loop, the harness that attaches the pilot to the glider, may have led to the fatal plunge.
Police have launched an investigation into the exact cause of the crash.
The tragic footage has sparked an outpouring of grief online, as well as renewed calls for safety inspections and stricter checks on hang–gliding equipment.
His final flight was captured in harrowing mobile phone footage and has been shared several times.
Haunting picture before drowning
A group of six girls stood in the shallow waters of the Yamuna River near Agra, India, smiling as they posed for a photo and filmed videos on their phones. Moments later, tragedy struck.
The girls, all between the ages of 12 and 18, had gone to the river to enjoy a break from the sweltering heat last month.
According to police, they were having fun and even began to take videos and selfies while in the water.
But they didn't realise the danger lurking beneath - a sudden rise in water levels caught them off guard.
One of the girls slipped and was quickly dragged into deeper water by the strong current. As they were holding hands, all six drowned within minutes.
Bystanders tried to save them but were unable to reach them in time. Rescue teams managed to retrieve their bodies hours later, downstream from where they vanished.
Tragically, their phones, still containing the selfies and videos they had taken just before their deaths, were recovered from the riverbank by grieving relatives.
Their devastated relatives said they had allowed the girls to bathe in the river because it dries up in the summer months. Unbeknownst to them, the water levels had suddenly risen.
The victims were all members of the same extended family.
Deadly snake bite
In a shocking video filmed in India, a young man can be seen playing with a live cobra after visiting a snake charmer.
Ch Jagadish, 24, appeared brave as he took the snake from Gurunadham Ramesh and placed it around his neck in the village of Sullurpeta, Andhra Pradesh.
Jagadish can be seen taunting frightened locals with the snake in the video filmed by his friend.
But what started as a daring stunt quickly turned deadly. As he gripped the snake's head for one final pose, the cobra lashed out, biting him hard on the hand.
He was rushed to a nearby hospital but was pronounced dead upon arrival. The venom had already spread through his system.
According to local media, the snake charmer fled the scene after the man began to exhibit signs of illness.
He is said to have claimed to have an antidote for snake bites.
Police said that although the snake's venom and fangs had been removed just weeks prior, it had produced poison again.
India sees thousands of snakebite deaths each year, but experts say most are the result of accidents in rural areas, not avoidable stunts.
Man mauled by bear
An Italian tourist was mauled to death earlier this month after taking a selfie with a bear cub.
Omar Farang Zin, 49, who was riding along the Carpathian Mountains in the central region of Arges, was viciously set upon by an incensed bear.
The beast then dragged his body down into a ravine. Police said that witnesses had called to report the shocking incident.
After an hour of searching for him, they discovered his lifeless body in the ravine.
Just a day before the attack, Omar had posted pictures of himself standing dangerously close to a large bear.
He had also posted a selfie standing near a bear cub. In another post, he is seen filming massive bears as he rides a motorcycle.
In the clip, Omar says: 'Here's the bear!', he can be heard saying. 'How beautiful. It's coming towards me.'
Officials noted that the bear responsible for the attack had been put down.
Omar, who was a travel enthusiast, had been working for Milan Malpensa airport before the tragedy.
Volcano plunge
It was meant to be the ultimate holiday snap - a stunning shot on the edge of an active volcano. But it ended in horror.
Brazilian dancer Juliana Marins slipped and fell 1,600 feet last month.
She fell from a hiking trail along the crater rim of Mount Rinjani in Indonesia.
After her fall, Juliana was trapped for four days as emergency crews tried their best to rescue her.
She was unable to climb back up due to her severe injuries.
Juliana, who also worked as a publicist, was backpacking through Southeast Asia before tragedy struck.
In her last video, she was seen admiring the view at the top of the mountain with Federica, another traveller she had met the day before.
Speaking to local media after the disaster, Frederica said: 'I met Juliana the day before the trip. We were both travelling alone. We made it all the way to the top. It was very difficult. We climbed about 1,500 meters.'
Although Juliana survived the fall, she had no access to food and water, and emergency services could not reach her.
When rescuers finally got to her after four days, she had unfortunately passed away.
In a heartbreaking tribute, her family said: 'Today, the rescue team managed to reach the place where Juliana Marins was.
'With great sadness, we inform you that she did not survive.'
Avalanche disaster
In May this year, a young woman shared smiling photos from a breathtaking hike with her friend just moments before both were killed in a devastating avalanche in the Swiss Alps.
Giorgia Rota, 29, and Alessandro Aresi, 30, had set off early in the morning to explore the Jungfrau massif, a popular alpine area in the Bernese Oberland region, when disaster struck.
The pair, who were both from Italy, were reportedly caught off guard by a massive wall of snow that tore through the valley, burying them under several feet of snow on Saturday, May 17.
Their final Instagram post, uploaded just before the fatal climb, shows Giorgia, a physiotherapist, grinning in full hiking gear as she poses against the glittering, snow-covered mountains.
Behind the camera was Alessandro, an amateur filmmaker and her close companion on many mountain adventures.
The poignant caption reads: 'Photo by Alessandro, super member for a super climb (and a super descent on a glacier).'
Rescue teams were scrambled after other hikers witnessed the avalanche and quickly alerted the authorities.
Emergency crews managed to locate the pair, but tragically, both were already dead.
The accident is believed to have been triggered by several days of unseasonably warm weather, which had destabilised the snowpack and increased the risk of avalanches.
Swiss authorities launched an investigation into the exact cause of the deadly slide.
Friends and family say Giorgia and Alessandro were experienced hikers and lovers of the great outdoors who regularly travelled the Alps together.
Italy's Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed consular support is being provided to the grieving families and made arrangements to repatriate their bodies.
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