Selfie-Related Deaths Are Real, Just Look At These Absurd Cases

It's funny to think about just how different people's traveling habits have changed. From bringing a map and a few cameras on trips and videocams to now basically bringing just a phone. Travel selfies are a relatively new trend, perhaps, let's say, a decade or so young. And yet, a troubling trend is shaping up among tourists: selfie-related deaths.

Recently, a star Czech gymnast by the name of Natalie Stichova was found dead after falling 262 feet down Tegelberg Mountain in Germany. Investigators say that she had been visiting a castle in the area when she decided to take a selfie that would lead to her demise.

"With deep sorrow, we announce that our wonderful friend, gymnast, representative, and coach, Natalie Stichova, has left us forever due to a tragic accident," Stichova’s club, Sokol Pribram Sports Gymnastics, said in an official statement, per the Daily Mail. "We extend our heartfelt condolences to her family and close friends, sending them strength and support."

Stichova's death highlights this phenomenon of selfie-related tragedies. There are only a handful of studies since selfies began that look into this. One such research about these tragic incidents was published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, which would effectively call the string of selfie mishaps a "public health issue." Physician epidemiologist Nathalie Auger, MD, MSc, who works at the University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre in Canada feels the same way.

"Selfie-related mortality is a public health concern as these deaths affect people of all ages around the world, have been increasing, and could be prevented through better public education and awareness," Auger told the clinical policy platform MedPage Today, talking about the subject as a public health concern.

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Reports, on the other hand, have shifted their coverage to prevention and caution. In 2017, India was said to have had the most selfie-related deaths, on part with Russia, the U.S., and Pakistan. A year later, news outlets and informal sources claimed that there have been between 300 and 500 selfie-related deaths since 2011. 

Studies have always been scarce but the idea that hundreds of people have died from this unfortunate trend can be upsetting (and perhaps provides us with a healthy level of caution the next time we go on and take our own travel selfies). At the very least, there are 314 confirmed selfie deaths, injuries, and more recorded over the years, encompassing numbers across 49 countries.

But some particular cases, such as Stichova's, always manage to catch our attention.

Eight People Who Had Infamous Selfie-Related Deaths

The circumstances have always varied. Some selfie accidents are associated with animals and automobiles while others are, well, let's just say due to negligence and dumb luck.

1| Karaoke and selfies

It was reported by The Independent some time back that a woman in the United States died on a highway as she was trying to upload a selfie of hers listening to the tune of the song "Happy" on the stereo. The actual photo went live on Facebook minutes after her death.

2| Walruses and selfies

Unfortunately for this businessman, his planned selfie with a walrus at a Liaoning zoo ended in the worst possible way. The man was said to have been a fan of this particular walrus and went on to get a photo with the animal. The walrus grabbed him and dragged him to the pool, where he drowned.

3| Grenades and selfies

Now this was just gruesome. A couple of Russian soldiers took a selfie with a grenade. You probably know how this turns out. The only thing that survived? The phone that took the shot. This ended up in the national news in Russia, when the government itself raised awareness about selfie-related deaths and injuries.

4| Guns and selfies

Certain things you never want to see in the same sentence. A teenager from India would accidentally shoot himself as he was getting a selfie with a pistol that was owned by his dad. At 15 years old, he's one of the younger casualties on this list. The thing is, selfie-related deaths have become too common among young citizens in India.

5| Cliffs and selfies

While in Portugal, this Polish couple just wanted to take a selfie with their kids on the edge of a cliff. The two fell while they were taking the photo. Sadly, their children have to live the rest of their lives without their parents.

6| Trains and selfies

An Andalusian citizen died because he decided that he wanted to take a selfie atop a train with his buddies just for the heck of it. The story takes a much different turn than you expect though. He didn't fall or anything. He accidentally got in contact with a high-voltage cable and subsequently died from the 35,000-volt charge.

7| Again, trains and selfies

Maybe put that phone in your pocket the next time you ride a train. In Thailand, a woman was hit by a train while she and her friend were taking a selfie by the tracks. She would injure her leg and eventually die at the hospital

8| Lighting and selfies

This takes the cake for being one of the more improbable ways to die by the selfie. In 2015, an English hiker would go through the Brecon Beacons National Park in Wales. He decided to take a selfie while on trekking because, well, that's what we do. It turns out that the extended metal rod, or selfie stick, he was using, would attract a thunderbolt. People have the darnest luck.