This article was originally published on MvpMode
In pursuit of getting the most likes, shares, and followers on social media, people are not only risking injury but even death as well. A few years ago, a man was trying to pose for a picture on a ledge at Machu Picchu, the ancient Incan citadel in Peru, and fell to his death. These sorts of incidents have only increased in the past few years and it seems like they will only increase. Here are 40 people who risked their lives just to take "the perfect selfie".
He Totally Redeemed Himself
As the statue, Christ the Redeemer, legendarily overlooks the city of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, this person decided to redeem himself on top of it with an awesome yet scary selfie.
It takes a lot of guts to take a selfie on the top of one of the New Seven Wonder of the World. This selfie is incredible but then again, it is unsafe as well.
"No Regrets”
The person uploaded this photo with a caption “Life is too short to wake up in the morning with regrets.” We fear that if he keeps on taking such dangerous selfies, one day he might not be able to wake up at all.
As this selfie is already quite dangerous, this person decided to take the danger level a bit too high by literally jumping up while taking a selfie. As if it wasn’t quite risky enough.
Up In The Air
As if using a phone while driving wasn’t dangerous enough, how about a plane? We are not sure why he wanted to take this selfie, it wasn’t like he was seeking more thrill. After all, he was flying a jet which is a dream of many thrill-seeking people.
We are not sure what happened to him after he uploaded this selfie. Maybe he was fired for not only endangering his life but also risking the plane. We all can hope he learned his lesson.
This is Insane
Like we mentioned earlier, the winds can become pretty stronger the higher you go. This selfie shows how ballsy he is, but it is still recklessness.
Apart from the height, what is really frightening here is that this person is just holding onto a small metal thing.
Now That’s A Hot Selfie
We can say that this is the only selfie on our list which is taken by someone who took some safety measures. Hey, he has his suit on which protected him from extreme heat. George Kourounis is a National Geographic explorer who decided to take a selfie in front of an active volcano. He is known for documenting tornadoes, hurricanes, volcanoes & extreme forces of nature.
He even uploaded the photo on his Twitter account with a caption “Volcano #selfie. When normal selfies are not extreme enough!” We hope this selfie doesn’t inspire other daredevils to take a selfie near an active volcano. We cannot stress it enough that it could be your last selfie. So, don’t even go near an active volcano let alone take a selfie.
Approaching Train
Many curious people ask on the internet that would someone survive if he/she lie-flat between train tracks. Well, this person wasn’t interested in finding that out. Instead, he was looking for a death-defying selfie.
As trains do not slow down except near a station, this was a really dangerous selfie because the train could’ve been near his head in no time at all. it is never a good idea to put your head on the train tracks even when there is no train in sight.
Inspiring Others?
Angela Nikolau is a Russian self-taught photographer who is known for taking the most dangerous selfies ever. With over 600k followers on Instagram, her account is filled with her riskiest selfies.
She is followed by many young people. She took this selfie on the top of a spire in Tianjin, China. We must admit that she knows how to take selfie-art to next level, but it can’t be denied that it is a dangerous selfie.
A Risk Taker Couple
Okay, the second-last selfie on our list is by far the most dangerous and death-defying one. It is a couple that does everything together, but that doesn’t explain why they had to take such a dangerous selfie that put not one but two lives at risk.
While balancing his girlfriend on his shoulders, he is simply holding on to a steel bar and there is no extra support at all. This selfie can surely give nightmares to anyone who is scared of heights.
Worth The Risk
Even looking at the small cars down is giving us a scare. But this lady decided to take a selfie at the top of one of these enormous towers.
Any average person would call it an insane photo, but you got to admit that it takes a lot of courage to go to such heights for the sake of adrenaline rush.
High-Speed Selfie
We all know that speed thrills but kills. Yet, many people still find some silly ways to endanger themselves and the people around them. This person took the selfie on a busy road and uploaded it with a caption “high-speed selfie :)”
Taking high-risk selfies is just plain dumb when you know that it can even end your life. For instance, two young men in Russia blew themselves up while taking a selfie holding a hand grenade with the pin pulled out.
Just Checking a Text
This is the second time Angela Nikolau features on our list. She has done this so many times that it seems like a casual selfie to her.
It is said that repeated exposure to something scary can actually desensitize you and that’s what you can see here.
Real Friends Do It Together
The account ‘roundtheroofs’ has over 34k followers on Instagram and its bio states: Live up on the edge. So, that explains this artistic yet dangerous photo.
We must admit that it is a dangerous looking group selfie but it is quite awesome as well. if you want to add fun to anything reckless, make sure you do it with your friends. Why put only your life in danger, right?
Not A Record-Breaking Selfie Stick
It may seem like this person took this selfie with the world’s longest selfie stick, but that is not the case. Ben Stiller is the most awesome guy as he took a selfie at the premiere of Zoolander 2 with the world’s longest selfie stick.
And if your hands are sweating after watching this photo, you can have some peace of mind knowing that most people on this planet would feel the same way as well.
A Perfect Vacation Photo
This person visited Hong Kong and did something that not everyone does whenever they visit this Chinese special administrative region.
It is a really dangerous selfie because the force of the wind generally grows much stronger the higher you travel.
A Perfect Opportunity
This may seem like a harmless, safe selfie at first, but if you look at the lower-right corner then you’ll know why this selfie made it into our list. There is an alligator approaching this person.
Alligators are known as patient hunters and they can stalk their prey in the water for hours before attacking. You should never ever take these things lightly because they can attack in the blink of an eye.
Hong Kong Again
Alexander Remnev is from Russia and is fascinated by heights. He is often looking for the tallest buildings in the world. As it seems like Hong Kong authorities don’t really care a lot about people climbing towers, it is no surprise these young daredevils went up there quite easily.
And just so you may know, this is the fifth tallest building (346 meters) in Hong Kong. He has plans of reaching to the top of all the tallest skyscrapers in the country.
Bear Selfie
In 2018, a man in India was mauled to death by a bear after he was trying to take a selfie with it. We cannot understand why a person would risk their life just for the sake of a few social media likes. This is stupidity at its peak.
The American black bear can run 30 mph and that’s why this photo is so stupid and death-defying. Although there was some distance between the creature and this man, he was just on foot. If the bear had decided to attack him, we are quite sure it would’ve become the news of a bear mauling a man to death.
Russian Daredevils
Alexander Remnev makes another entry on our list and this time he has a selfie taken with his group of daredevils. After looking at this selfie, we are glad the Russian police started a campaign to create awareness among people about the risk of taking a “cool selfie.”
This group selfie was taken from atop a 350-foot radio tower near the Kostroma River in Russia and it looks awesome yet super dangerous as well. Look at his friends who are more interested in posing for the camera rather than holding on to something for support.
Can You See Him?!
There are people who are always ready to take a new bet just to do something crazy. People can do some really crazy stuff just to get that adrenaline rush.
The person in this photo was taking a selfie and his friend took a photo of him. Though this photo is pretty cool, it could’ve been more awesome if we could see the original selfie.
Obsessed Much
Here is Alexander Remnev again with another selfie of him on the Princess Tower in the Marina district of Dubai, UAE. It is a 101-story tall residential-only skyscraper that is 414m high. It was the tallest residential building in the world from 2012 to 2015.
Remnev is obsessed with skyscrapers and who knows he might try to take a selfie on top of Burj Khalifa. In 2014, Gerald Donovan took 830 meter-high selfie on top of Burj Khalifa (at that time it was the tallest structure and building in the world).
There's Nothing To Be Scared Of
These are the kinds of selfies that make the headlines. This big chimney is already in dire condition and taking a selfie there is not recommended at all. Yet this person wanted to take a risk.
However, the condition of this structure didn’t stop this person because apparently he is passionate about climbing top buildings and walking on ledges.
A Big Nope
As if taking a photo on the ledge of a tall building wasn’t dangerous enough, this person decided to take more risk. After all, the higher the risk, the more likes, shares, and followers on social media.
Given that the ledge is wet and potentially icy, it is certainly something that would make any adrenaline junkie smack their lips. But it is dangerous and we just hope that he doesn’t try it again.
Ah, Railway Tracks Again
This person must be like "dangling from the dilapidated tracks seems like a good selfie idea." And we don't blame him because this selfie is super cool. This is the first time we’ll have to admit that it was worth the risk.
Nevertheless, don’t try this because there is a risk of injury or even death if your hands slip.
Incredible Balance
This photo can give nightmares to people who are scared of heights. Although this person is exhibiting amazing proprioception (the sense of self-movement and body position), it is still dangerous as many professionals even lose their stepping and balance every now and then.
Maintaining balance at such height is extremely important because once you lose balance, the chances of surviving from a fall are quite lower.
Extreme Stuff
One thing can be said with certainty that these thrill-seeking daredevils are prepared to go to any heights. This is an extreme roofing selfie which was on top of the Votivkirche in Austria.
This a death-defying selfie due to two reasons: (1) the winds at such height are stronger and can make a person lose their balance and fall to their death (2) it seems like he is holding on to a steel bar and there is no other support near him. This is insane.
A Slide Won't Help
We don’t know where to start. There can be a possibility that this person is a Mission Impossible fan and took this photo after getting inspired by the famous film series.
Maybe he just wanted to show the world how big of a risk-taker he really is. Nevertheless, it is a really dangerous selfie because one slip could’ve ended his life.
Highest Radio Tower in Germany
This person did two things with this photo: he made people scared of heights feel more frightened and he also encouraged people who are daredevils.
Although it is a dangerous photo, we’re somewhat relieved to see that he wasn't doing anything stupid while taking this photo.
Rock Steady
This photo may seem liberating and quite artistic, but it is a quite dangerous photo because one wrong move could’ve ended her life.
By the way, she is on Kjeragbolten, a glacial deposit wedged into a mountain deposit in Norway.
Sneaker Selfie
This selfie was taken in NYC by 13thwitness, an Instagram approved account with over 700k followers.
As most death-defying selfies on our list are taken by daredevils, this one is quite artistic because this doesn’t focus on the person. Instead, this selfie focuses on the sneakers of the person who captured this photo.
That’s One Way to Get A Lot of Likes
As compared to holding an iron bar and taking a photo, this person seems like sitting on a bar. It seems like he isn’t a big fan of safety measures.
Although most selfies on this list are dangerous, this one touches new heights because it is taken in some really unsafe conditions.
Not the Ride You’d Ever Take
Any thrill seeker would instantly say ‘yes’ to a rollercoaster ride, but these sorts of images make you change your mind.
For us, this is a super dangerous selfie because the rollercoaster’s track is all rusty and weak. Although rollercoaster track designs are considered strong, they can become weak after years collecting rust and dust.
Safety First
Given that this person is wearing gloves, it makes him the most safety-obsessed daredevil on our list.
In fact, we are super glad to include him because at least he is setting one good example by wearing gloves.
A Shocking Photo
First of all, the crazy height of a tall structure is enough to stop anyone from going up. But that didn’t stop this man.
Secondly, there is a risk of electric shock on TV and radio towers. And that didn’t stop this man as well.
Easy Peasy?
This is the second time the artist Jun Ahn makes our list. This photo was part of her art and she displayed it at a museum in Seoul.
This photo was taken in Hong Kong as many daredevils love to go there and it makes us wonder: is it that easy to break into a roof and climb to terrifying heights.
In Cincinnati
Whenever you are in Cincinnati, you won’t find anyone recommending you to climb up the side of an overgrown brick stack. But this person still did it and proudly took a photo to show the world she is not scared of heights.
She uploaded this photo with a caption “The reality of life is rain and rust” and it kind of makes sense as well. Nevertheless, it is a death-defying selfie because she is all alone and one slip could’ve ended her life.
Croc Selfie
We cannot emphasize how much dangerous it is to take a selfie when there is a dangerous predator just behind you. Apparently, the knowledge of how dangerous crocodiles can be or even horror movies didn’t teach this young woman that he should never go near them.
She seems so oblivious of the fact that crocodiles can achieve speeds of around 12 to 14 kph for short periods and can bite with 3,700 pounds per square inch of bite force. As she was standing close to this beast, anything could’ve happened.
Splash Mountain
This woman clearly didn’t understand the instructions that specifically say not to use the phone during the ride. She not only took a photo but bragged about it on her social media account with a caption “Splash mountain at 11:30 at night and a selfie while going down? How did my phone not fly out of my hands.”
She is not only risking dropping her phone, but it also could’ve hurt someone else. We are not sure she has watched Final Destination movie series.
She Knows It is Not Safe
This year, a student died after falling more than 120m from cliffs in Ireland while he was attempting to take a selfie. You can find a lot of news on the internet about people who fell and died in an attempt to take a selfie.
It seems like this woman is scared and she has every right to feel this way. We just hope that people learn from other unfortunate ones.
Not The Right Place
As we’ve mentioned earlier, many people have died after falling from a cliff just because they wanted to take a silly selfie. This selfie seems like an accident waiting to happen.
It was taken at Horseshoe Bend in Arizona. Although this place is great for hiking, you should never ever try to take a selfie at the edge of a cliff as one wrong step could end your life.
Admiring The View
This person uploaded the photo with a caption that says he is 8 floors up chilling and admiring the view.
Although it seems like the least dangerous photo on our list, it is still quite a death-defying photo because he is sitting on the ledge. We hope he was not chilling with a beer in his hand.
A Thrill-Seeking Artist
Jun Ahn is a thrill-seeking artist who adopted the dangerous selfie craze quite early. During the daytime, she teaches in Seoul, Korea, and takes dangerous selfies whenever she gets a chance.
This selfie seems like one of her artistic works, but that doesn’t explain why she had to take such high risk.