Disaster strikes all the time, but people aren’t always on hand to capture the moments beforehand. In the article below, we’ve brought you 30 unbelievable photos of the dramatic seconds before disaster occurs. From major world events to some lighter-hearted moments, scroll down the article below to see shocking photos taken before disaster struck.
It’s truly amazing to think just how lucky some photographers have been to find themselves in the right place and the right time before something dramatic goes down.
1. YOU WON’T BELIEVE HOW CLOSE THIS CONTAINER SHIP CAME TO SPILLING ALL OF ITS CARGO
This is the MV Rena, a Greek container ship. It’s carrying over 3,000 containers of goods.
Even though the picture above looks like disaster is about to strike, only four containers actually fell into the sea.
However, the ship is tilting because it’s about to run aground off the coast of New Zealand in October 2011.
The crash caused an oil spill which eventually became New Zealand’s worst maritime environmental disaster.
2. THIS GUY CAME TO BE KNOWN AS ‘THE LUCKIEST GUY IN MOTORSPORT’ AND WE CAN SEE WHY
The man flying through the air is Nigel Corner, who was racing a car at the Goodwood Revival in 1998 when he suffered a terrible crash.
Somehow, he survived. But he did break 20 bones (including his back) and punctured both lungs.
Corner later said: “Those old Ferraris are bloody strong, but if I’d been belted in I’d be a dead man now.”
3. THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS SECONDS AFTER A BEE STINGS A HUMAN BEING
This is amazing!
Did you know that a bee leaves part of its digestive tract behind when it stings a human being?
That’s why bees always die after they’ve released their sting. Still, we can’t believe the photographer managed to capture this amazing moment.
RIP to the bee.
4. PHOTOGRAPHER ROBERT LANDSBURG WAS KILLED SHORTLY AFTER SNAPPING THIS IMAGE
This is the moment that Mount St. Helens in Washington, USA decided to erupt in 1980.
Robert Landsburg was on hand to capture the dramatic moment. But the wall of ash that burst from the volcano killed him only moments after this photograph was taken.
The film survived after being sheltered by his dead body.
5. CAMELS MIGHT SEEM RELATIVELY TAME BUT THEY DO HAVE VERY SHARP TEETH
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This woman found out pretty quickly that camels aren’t as nice and calm as they seem on the surface. That has got to be painful.
Fortunately her friend was on hand to capture the moment in all of its glory.
We’re guessing she now has a fear of camels.
6. THIS IS THE CREW OF THE SPACE SHUTTLE CHALLENGER LEAVING TO BOARD THE VESSEL AND TRAVEL INTO OUTER SPACE
The Space Shuttle Challenger launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida on January 28th, 1986.
But the mission ended in disaster when the orbiter disintegrated only seconds after take-off.
This chilling photo captures the final moments of the astronauts who were bound to travel into space.
The Challenger disaster is still one of the most famous incidents in US history.
7. SOMEBODY MANAGED TO CAPTURE THE MOMENTS RIGHT BEFORE THE OMAGH BOMBING TOOK PLACE
The red car you can see on the right contains a powerful explosive device.
The attack was carried out in 1998 by the real IRA in Omagh, Northern Ireland. 29 people were killed and the bomb injured 220 others.
Fortunately the man and child pictured here somehow managed to survive. Sadly the photographer died.
8. THIS DOG LOOKS LIKE HE’S ABOUT TO TAKE DOWN A TERRIFIED VICTIM
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This man is about to get the mauling of his life…or is he?
Don’t worry, it’s only a police dog training ground. The mutt in question will one day be chasing bad guys.
For now, he’s running after a police officer who is praying that he wore enough padding for training day.
9. THIS HUNTER LOOKS PRETTY PLEASED WITH HIS KILL, BUT CHECK OUT WHAT’S WAITING IN THE SHADOWS
We’re betting the smile disappeared from that guy’s face pretty quickly.
All he wanted to do was enjoy a peaceful trophy shot. But this lioness had other ideas.
She must have been pretty hungry.
10. THIS IS THE LAST IMAGE TAKEN OF URUGUAYAN FLIGHT 571, WHICH CRASHED IN THE ANDES
Everyone on this flight looks happy and relaxed. But little did they know that the flight was about to crash into the Andes.
11. THE COLUMBINE MASSACRE WAS ONE OF THE MOST SHOCKING MOMENTS IN MODERN US HISTORY
In this CCTV image, you can see William David Sanders – a computer and business teacher – guiding students out of the Columbine High School cafeteria.
12. THIS IS THE SHOCKING MOMENT THAT KEITH SAPSFORD, A 14-YEAR-OLD AUSTRALIAN, FELL TO HIS DEATH ON FEBRUARY 24TH, 1970
Sapsford had been hiding in the wheel of a flight which left Sydney and was bound towards Japan.
At the moment he fell from the plane, John Gilspin – an amateur photographer – was testing beyond his camera lens.
He unwittingly caught the moment that Sapsford fell over 200 feet to his death.
Tragically he was later shot twice in the chest by one of the school shooters and didn’t survive the attack.
13. STINGRAYS AREN’T AS FRIENDLY AS THEY MIGHT SEEM
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No wonder this girl looks upset.
Stingrays don’t normally act like this, but it seems as though this particular ray took a shine to one unfortunate diver.
She was fine afterwards though and fortunately it didn’t end in tragedy.
14. THIS PHOTOGRAPHER CAPTURED THE MOMENT A ROGUE BMXER RECEIVED FIRST DEGREE BURNS TO HIS STOMACH
It’s all fun and games until somebody dives headlong into an open fire pit.
These people were enjoying a fancy dress party when one of their group got a little bit carried away and ended up crashing his bike.
Straight into some burning flames. Ouch.
15. THIS DASH CAM CAPTURED THE DRAMATIC MOMENT THAT TRANSASIA AIRWAYS FLIGHT 235 CRASHED SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF
The plane hurtled into the Keelung River in Taipei only moments after take-off and this dash cam captured the plane’s veering off course.
The flight was carrying 53 passengers but only 15 people survived.
16. SURFERS TAKE THEIR LIVES INTO THEIR HANDS ALL THE TIME
And this photo shows some of the risks that they have to take every single time they hit the water.
One surfer got a little too close to a shark that was lurking just beneath the waves.
Any fans of Jaws, look away now.
