Moments from disaster: A last smiling selfie on doomed MH17, the final leap of a bike stuntman and a parachute jump that went badly wrong... the tragic stories behind haunting final photos
Whether taking a selfie, filming a daring activity or simply posing for a holiday snap, the minutes before disaster strikes can be the happiest and most exhilarating of people's lives.But when joy turns to tragedy, pictures can turn into a haunting record of a person's final moments, freezing them in time.While sometimes it is possible to spot the danger ahead, on other occasions it comes completely out of the blue.Horrifying events in world news, from plane crashes to terror attacks, underline the dangers that can lurk around the corner at any time.Meanwhile freak accidents, particularly while travelling or doing something out of the ordinary, can strike when people least suspect them.Just this week, a holidaymaker fell from a moving train in Sri Lanka as she was visiting a popular tourist hotspot.Her last living moments were caught on camera, with a now-ominous image showing her hanging her head out of the carriage.Pictures like these can serve as a terrifying reminder of how a person's life can change - and even end - in an instant. Olga Perminova, 53, was travelling on the legendary Podi Menike rail line when she decided to lean out of an open door in a deadly picture opportunityTrain selfie Olga Perminova, 53, was travelling on the legendary Podi Menike rail line when she decided to lean out of an open door in a deadly picture opportunity.According to local reports, the woman smashed into a rock and suffered horrific head injuries, after holding onto two rails and hanging her head from the carriage.The Russian traveller, who was seen in her last photo wearing a pink dress, died later in hospital.Perminova was on the Podi Menike train, famed for its spectacular scenery as it passes lush tea plantations, dense forests, mountainous terrains, and picturesque landscapes.But she tragically 'died after falling off the train when attempting to take a selfie while hanging from the train footboard between the Badulla and Hali Ela railway stations,' said a local report citing police.'The woman knocked against a rock, fell off the train and sustained severe injuries.'Selfie on board flight MH17 This carefree selfie of a mother and son smiling into the camera was taken aboard the doomed Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, reports claimed at the time.Gary Slok, 15, and his mother Petra Langeveld both lost their lives when a missile shot down the Amsterdam-Kuala Lumpur plane as it flew over eastern Ukraine.The pair were heading to a holiday designed for single parents and their children. Gary Slok, 15, and his mother Petra Langeveld (pictured) lost their lives when a missile shot down the Amsterdam-Kuala Lumpur plane as it flew over eastern UkraineBut just three hours after apparently posing for this picture, they were killed alongside 296 other passengers and crew members.Gary, a goalkeeper for his local football club in Maassluis, western Holland, was one of 80 youngsters who lost their lives in the horror crash on Thursday.He was described by teammates as 'wonderful'.A statement released by the club said: 'Gary and his mum Petra were on their way to Malaysia to have the dream holiday of their life.'Sadly they never got the chance to fulfil that dream.'But his story and his last picture tell you how dreams of many people with wonderful lives ahead of them have been wrecked.'Bike stuntman’s last jump A daredevil who was attempting to achieve a world record 351-foot motorcycle jump tragically lost his life in front of family and friends as he performed the stunt.Alex Harvill, 28, came up short and crashed into a dirt mound, suffering fatal injuries.The organizers of the event had medics on standby because they said they knew Harvill's jump was risky.It took paramedics 2 minutes, 30 seconds, to reach Harvill and begin administering first aid. He was then loaded into an ambulance and whisked to the hospital. Alex Harvill, 28, came up short and crashed into a dirt mound, suffering fatal injuriesFamily friend Debbie Williams said through sobs that it looked like Harvill's back tire caught on the ramp.The stunt biker's family has released a statement to local media, saying: 'While this was obviously a very tragic event that unfolded, Alex was doing what he loved to do.'Harvill left behind his wife of less than two years, Jessica, and their two sons, the youngest of whom was born a month before the tragedy.Freak snowstormA young adventurer who documented his travels on YouTube died in a freak snowstorm in the Swedish wilderness after sending a heartbreaking final message to his grandmother.Storm De Beul, 22, a nature lover who 'enjoyed being alone', was found dead in Lapland on October 30 last year after spending much of the year hiking solo through the remote Jokkmokk region.He became caught in a devastating blizzard the night before, telling his grandmother in a tragic final message: 'It's snowing heavily here. But don't worry, I'll survive, you know.'Storm also sent a video to a friend showing how the intense snowfall had filled his shoes and backpack, while the wind battered his tent. 'Tonight, it's going to get worse. Jesus Christ,' he said in the video. Storm De Beul, 22, was found dead in Lapland on October 30 last year after spending much of the year hiking solo. This selfie was one of his final picturesHis friend reportedly warned him about the risks, but Storm appeared not to be worried at that point. 'He was like that. I don't think I've ever seen him scared,' his father, Bout, told Belgian media.It is unclear why he abandoned his shelter, his mother Elisabeth Rademaker said, but the conditions may have left him with no option. 'Trees were uprooted that night,' she said. 'Maybe his tent also blew away and he had no choice but to start walking.'But it was -6C, and because of the storm it even felt like -18C. His feet and lower legs were frozen,' she said. 'His hands weren't, he might still have had his hand warmers with him.'Ropeless climb fallA 17-year-old high school graduate died while out rock climbing in Colorado soon after posting a selfie to his Instagram page.Carter Christensen of Maple Grove, Minnesota died after falling from the First Flatiron on Sunday afternoon.The Boulder County Sheriff's Office said Christensen was free-soloing and climbing alone, without the use of ropes or any kind of climbing gear.Although nobody witnessed the fall, hikers who were in the area heard the boy hit the ground and tried to help him. This photo Christensen posted to his Instagram account was taken minutes before the fallIt's estimated he fell more than 100 feet and suffered 'massive traumatic injuries' when he hit the ground.Rescuers discovered Christensen near the bottom of the First Flatiron, in Boulder's Chautauqua Park, where he was not breathing and without a pulse. He was declared dead at the scene.The fateful photo Christensen posted to his Instagram account took place minutes before the fall, although investigators are not sure if the taking of the selfie was in any way related to the accident.Parachute plunge A 15-year-old boy plunged to his death after his homemade parachute failed to open properly in a leap from a tower block in Ukraine.Horrifying footage shows Bogdan Firsov falling from the 14th floor in the eastern Ukrainian city of Makiivka.Adults, including his mother, watched and are even said to have encouraged the teenager as he prepared to try out his makeshift parachute as part of a social media stunt. The 15-year-old boy plunged to his death after his homemade parachute failed to open properly in a leap from a tower block in Ukraine Horrifying footage shows Bogdan Firsov, pictured, falling from the 14th floor in the eastern Ukrainian city of Makiivka before he died yards from his mother The boy wore a helmet and there was 'padding' on the ground below but he died instantly Other relatives joined the boy's mother in watching, filming and photographing the horror in jump for which he used a 'homemade' parachute, say reports. Pictured: Emergency services at the sceneThe clip shows him with his arms outstretched on top of the building. As he falls, a parachute is visible but it does not unfurl properly during the 140ft drop. An eyewitness said: 'A crowd of people was there and nobody tried to stop him. They only filmed.'People are not human any longer, they have lost all common sense.'He said: 'It happened right in front of my eyes. The boy jumped down with a parachute. He flew down and hit the ground with his back. It was really tough.'
