For those with a large following on social media, an Instagram post can be prime real estate. The larger the following, the more money brands are willing to pay you and one of the easiest ways to drive traffic towards your handle is by doing the absolute ridiculous in order to achieve virality.
However, while some attempt to do so by making absolute fools of themselves, still others perform death-defying acts which are far more foolish. Below, we catalogue a bunch of people who died or almost met their end due to social media:
Instagram model Katarina Zarutskie thought it would be a good idea to pose for a photoshoot while swimming with sharks. Yes, you read that right. National Geographic states that while nurse sharks (the ones that Zarutskie) was swimming with, are largely harmless to humans, they tend to bite defensively if they feel bothered or threatened. That’s exactly what happened during the 19-year-old’s photoshoot when a shark bit her and her arm was pulled under. Thinking quickly, she instantly covered her arm to prevent the blood from spreading and alerting the other sharks.
In what is heartbreaking news, vloggers Ryker Gamble, Alexey Andriyovych Lyakh and Megan Scraper met their end during a waterfall accident. The adrenaline junkies used to document their adventures and according to the Independent, Megan Scraper slipped and fell while the trio were walking along the edge of the pool system above the waterfall. The others apparently jumped in to save her and reportedly fell 100ft in their bid to save her, the news website states.
According to Ranker.com, so enraged was 15-year-old Hughstan Schlicker when his parents forbade him from using MySpace that he shot his dad using a 12-gauge shotgun. The boy was convicted and sentenced to 20 years in prison, Ranker reports.
These are but three incidents in a long line of such tragedies. While Zarutskie’s quick thinking saved her life, the others mentioned in this article weren’t so fortunate.
(Header credits: Katarina Zarutskie @katarinazarutskie on Instagram)
