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Right place, right time. That’s exactly what happened when these photographers captured these photos. With a quick click of a button, these photos were captured just moments before tragedy struck.
Air France Flight 4590
Just moments after this flight left the ground, the tire was punctured from rolling over debris on the runway. The plane crashed into a hotel, killing all 109 passengers.
Titanic
We all know the tragic story of the sinking of the Titanic. This is the last known photo taken of the “unsinkable” ship.
Hot Air Balloon Disaster
Twelve people on board a hot air balloon in New Zealand died after it came in contact with high voltage power lines. It’s believed that the pilot may have been under the influence while flying the balloon.
Gang Violence
Just as politician Reynaldo Dagsa took a picture of his family, a gang member pulled out a gun to assassinate the man. This was the last photo Dagsa took before dying on the scene.
Paul Walker and His Car
This is a photo of Paul Walker getting into his Porsche Carrera GT just before he crashed it into a tree going 100 mph. Both Walker and his friend Roger Rodas died in the crash.
The Power of Niagara
The woman in the red shirt in the background was Japanese student, Ayano Tokumasu. Just moments after this photo was taken, she jumped over the railing into the rushing waters of Niagara Falls.
Martin Luther King Jr.
This is a photo of Civil Rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. standing on the balcony where he was eventually assassinated.
TransAsia Airways Flight 235 Crash
This plane crash in Taiwan was due to an engine malfunction. More than half the people on board died when the plane crashed into the Keelung River.
Joe Kelly at a Baseball Game
This is the last picture taken of Joe Kelly, a man who died in the Twin Towers on 9/11. This photo was taken the night before his death at a baseball game with his two sons.
Military Glider Flight
During a test military glider flight in 1943, the left wing collapsed and killed all ten passengers, including St. Louis Mayor William D. Becker, in the crash.
Diver Tina Watson
Tina Watson and her new husband, David, were on their honeymoon in Australia when they decided to go scuba diving. When the currents became too powerful, David swam to the surface, leaving his wife in the water. In this photo, you can see Tina on her side in the background, maybe still alive.
U.S. Figure Skating Team, 1961
On a flight to Brussels in 1961, every member of the U.S. figure skating team died when the plane crashed. Their deaths were so impactful that the World Figure Skating Championships were canceled that year.
Dale Earnhardt’s Final Ride
This photo was taken just before Dale Earnhardt crashed his racecar and died in 2001 at the Daytona 500.
Patrick Swayze
This is the last photo taken of Patrick Swayze before he died after his battle with cancer in 2009.
Henry Worsey
Explorer Henry Worsey took his last selfie while attempting to complete a solo trip across Antartica. He had walked 913 miles in just over two months. However, just 30 miles from finishing, he radioed for help. He didn’t make it, though.
Bombing of Rangoon
In 1983, North Korean bombers tried to kill South Korean President Chun Doo-hwan at a memorial event. 21 people died as a result of the bombing, but the president was safe because he was stuck in traffic.
Malaysia Airlines Flight 17
This was the last known photo of Malaysian Airline Flight 17 before it was shot down by Ukraine missiles who thought it was an enemy plane. Every person on board died.
Omagh Bombing
This photo was taken just before a bomb in the red car went off in 1998. It was detonated by the Real Irish Republican Army in Omagh, Ireland. 31 people died in the blast, except for the photographer of this picture.
Memorial Day Massacre, 1937
During a strike put together by steel workers, Chicago police fired into the crowd killing ten and wounding 30 people.
Elisa Lam
Elisa Lam disappeared in 2013 and turned up in a water tank on top of a hotel in Los Angeles. The last known footage of Lam is when she was in an elevator, talking to herself, seeming to hide from someone. Nobody was arrested in her death.
Columbine Shooting
Teacher Dave Sanders rushed into the cafeteria of Columbine High School to warn students of two active shooters, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold. While he was able to save the students, he was later killed by the student shooters.
Japan Airlines Flight 123
The worst plane crash in history happened in 1985 on a Boeing 747 when a faulty repair caused an explosive decompression in the cabin. The plane crashed into Mount Takamagahara and killed 505 of 509 passengers and every crew member.
James Dean
Just before actor James Dean crashed his Porsche, killing himself in 1955, this photo was taken of him at a gas station.
Parkour Jump
Parkour professional, Pavel Kashin, loved the adrenaline rush of jumping and flipping in strange places. Unfortunately, while trying to do a backflip on a wall, he lost is balance and fell 16 stories to his death.
Robert Overacker
Risk taker Robert Overacker attempted to go over Niagara Falls with a jet ski in order to raise awareness of the homeless. He may have survived if his parachute had opened properly.
Notorious B.I.G.
Just before the Notorious B.I.G. was killed in a drive-by shooting, this photo was taken of him at a party with Sean “Puff Daddy” Combs.
Mt. Everest Hikers
This is the last picture of explorers George Mallory and Sandy Irvine in 1924. They attempted to climb to the top of Mt. Everest. Unfortunately, they never made it back down the mountain. Whether they reached the top or not is still debated.
Bear Attack
Darsh Patel was hiking in West Milfrod, NJ with friends when he took a picture of a bear in the woods. The bear kept approaching and eventually attacked the 22-year-old. This photo was found on his cell phone.
Before the Jump
Someone captured this photo of Heather Price Papayoti in 2014 on the Hoover Dam. Just moments later she threw herself over the railing, killing herself.
Freddie Mercury
This photo of Freddie Mercury in April 1991 spurred rumors that the singer had contracted AIDS. He didn’t admit to having been diagnosed until 2 days before his death.
The Station Fire
The Great White was playing at The Station in Rhode Island when their pyrotechnics and equipment malfunctioned causing a fire to break out and kill 100 people in the nightclub. You can see the lead singer noticing the fire in this photo.
Sultana
This is the last known photo of the steamboat Sultana. It set sail on the Mississippi River in 1985 where four of its boilers exploded and killed 1800 of the 2427 people on board the ship.
Execution
In 1944, Soviet soldiers can be seen executing a traitor. It’s suspected that the execution took place in Germany.
Ian Curtis
Ian Curtis of the band Joy Division killed himself in his kitchen just five days after this photo was taken.
Jamie Zimmerman
Doctor and ABC News reporter Jamie Zimmerman was on vacation in Hawaii when she lost her balance while hiking and fill to her death into a river. This picture was taken just before she fell.
Johnny Cash
Legend Johnny Cash played his last concert in 2003. He had to be carried out to the stage in a wheelchair, where he gave his last performance before his death.
Silvia
