Couple’s innocent selfie captures tragic disaster moments just before striking it
A supposedly harmless selfie the couple took captured the eerie final moments of a terrible accident in real-time.
On August 20, 2022, Andrea Mazzetto and his partner Sara Bragante set off for a hike to Altar Knotto, a rock outcropping near Mazzetto’s hometown of Rotzo, Italy. Mazzetto was documenting their adventure on social media, and with this breathtaking view behind them, he extended his arm to take a photo of the two enjoying the day.
But that perfect day suddenly turned tragic as 30-year-old Mazzetto dropped his phone. He tried to pick it up but lost his balance and tumbled from the edge of the cliff. Authorities later said he plummeted 200 meters to the ground below.
A large-scale rescue operation was launched immediately, mobilizing helicopters and firefighters, but by the time they reached him, unfortunately, Mazzetto had succumbed to his injuries.
Bragante later posted the poignant last picture of them together on her Instagram account: “Our cursed last photo together. You will always be with me, my little bear.
Initial reports stated Mazzetto was trying to get Bragante’s phone, but it later came out that he dropped his own. Mazzetto, an entrepreneur and fitness enthusiast, had shared frequent photos of them as a couple with more than 2,000 followers on Instagram.
But the incident echoes yet another tragedy from 2011, in which a Canadian couple inadvertently photographed the final moments of a tourist at Niagara Falls. Andrea Smith and Jason Watson had been visiting the iconic Horseshoe Falls when they took a snapshot at a popular viewpoint.
At first glance, it was like any other tourist photo. But then, a young woman in red can be seen crossing the railing which separates visitors from the dangerous drop. It was identified that she was 20-year-old Ayano Tokumasu, who took a fatal drop moments after this picture was taken.
She had been trying to take a photo without people in her background when she climbed over the railing. She lost her balance when trying to return to safety and plunged into the water below; she was swept away. Witnesses said she was straddling the rail for a better view. Her body was finally pulled out four days later from the bottom of Niagara Falls.
Smith said later, reflecting on the incident: “It actually gave me a chill looking at the photo. We could have done something to save her and we didn’t.”
Article Source: ladbible
