Final moments on film: A selfie with a walrus, testing a homemade parachute and going face-to-face with a tiger... terrifying true stories behind tragic photographs

Every day, millions of people commemorate important moments in their lives with pictures. 

Whether it is a trip to the zoo, the test of a new invention or a hike with loved ones, photos can help capture beautiful moments on film. 

But sometimes, these photographs become the tragic last capture of someones final moments.

For one man, who climbed into a zoo enclosure to take a selfie with a walrus, his outing ended fatally - as did another mans close-up with his favourite animal, a tiger. 

Others lives ended in tragedy when they got stuck in natural disasters, plane crashes, their parachutes failed or when they simply were in the wrong place at the wrong time. 

Here, MailOnline takes a look at what happened just after these harrowing photographs were taken.

Walrus rampage

Jia Lijun was killed after the walrus dragged him into the water as he was taking selfies

Jia Lijun visited Xixiakou Wildlife Park in Rongcheng city in north-eastern China in May 2016.

He documented his visit with videos and pictures for social media - including selfies with a walrus. 

Immediately after snapping the pictures, the 1.5-tonne walrus grabbed Jia from behind and dragged him into a pool in the enclosure, where it swung him around under water.  

His back was to the walrus, and he took a selfie, the walrus came from behind and pulled him into the pool to play, one of Jias friends told Chinese media.

He was killed by the walrus, he didnt accidentally fall into the water.

A zookeeper, only named by his surname Duan, then reportedly used some bamboo sticks to try and rescue Jia before wading into the water himself.

But the walrus released Jia and rushed towards Duan, who - despite being a strong swimmer - couldnt escape the animal. 

The walrus, reportedly weighing some 1.5 tonnes, had been at the wildlife park for over 10 years

The walrus was kept in this enclosure, which many people later criticised for allowing visitors to get too close

By the time others came to Jia and Duans aid, both had already died. 

Zoo staff believe that the walrus dragging its keeper around the pool was playful and not malicious, as the keeper had been looking after the animal since it arrived at the zoo as a baby more than 10 prior. 

After their deaths, the wildlife park was heavily criticised for not having a barrier between the public and the animals, which enabled Jia to get into the walrus enclosure and take a selfie with it.

Jias friend, surnamed Wu, said the man was very excited about meeting the walrus and had sent many pictures and videos to friends.

Who would have thought that at three oclock he would send me a video, talking and laughing and just a few minutes [later] he was drowning in the water, Wu said.

Parachute test 

Hundreds watched on as Franz Reichelts parachute malfunctioned and failed to open, causing him to drop 187 feet to his death in a flurry of fabric

On an icy February day in 1912, Austrian-born inventor Franz Reichelt was famously pictured atop the Eiffel Tower in Paris in his homemade parachute suit.

Although he was a tailor by trade, Reichelts real passion lay in inventing. 

At the time, in the early 20th century, aeroplanes were in their infancy, and Reichelt was keen to develop a wearable parachute for when they went wrong. 

He set about tailoring a special suit made from silk and rubber. He theorised that a falling person could open their arms to create wings that would slow their descent.

His first attempts, using dummies, were successful. However, when he refined the previously bulky design, the dummies crashed to earth.

When Reichelt tested the suit himself by dropping more than 30 feet, he needed piles of straw to break his fall and save his life.

However, the inventor believed that, if the drop was higher, the suit would work.

In 1912, he was given permission to test the suit from Pariss Eiffel Tower. Although friends tried to convince him not to carry out the feat, Reichelt pressed on.

Cameras were there to ensure that Reichelts feat would be recorded forever.

On an icy February day in 1912, Austrian-born inventor Franz Reichelt was famously pictured atop the Eiffel Tower in Paris in his homemade parachute suit

Shocking footage shows Reichelt perching on a chair for several moments before he stepped over the fence on the first level of the tower. He was seen leaping off the landmark in the misguided belief that his parachute would work

Reichelt theorised that a falling person could open their arms to create wings that would slow their descent

Shocking footage shows Reichelt perching on a chair for several moments before he stepped over the fence on the first level of the tower.

He was seen leaping off the landmark in the misguided belief that his parachute would work.

Instead, hundreds watched on as his parachute malfunctioned and failed to open, causing Reichelt to drop 187 feet to his death in a flurry of fabric. 

Members of the crowd invited to witness the inventors ill-fated test jump rushed to his aid, but found Reichelt to have died on impact. 

The video from Pathe also captured startling scenes as onlookers measured the hole in the ground created by the impact of Reichelts body.

Hiking misstep 

Andrea Mazzetto went on a fateful hike with his girlfriend Sara Bragante on the Altar Knotto trail in the town of Rotzo, in the northeast Italian province of Vicenza, in August 2022. Pictured above is the last photo of Mazzetto

Andrea Mazzetto went on a fateful hike with his girlfriend Sara Bragante on the Altar Knotto trail in the town of Rotzo, in the northeast Italian province of Vicenza, in August 2022.

The couple had been taking pictures throughout their day and decided to commemorate the moment they reached the top with a selfie. 

Mazzetto took the photo on and swiftly posted it on social media, but he ended up dropping his phone just seconds later.

When he tried to retrieve it, he lost his footing and plummeted 330ft down the cliffside, according to Italian media reports.

His shocked girlfriend called emergency services, who sent firefighters and an alpine rescue team to the site. 

They managed to reach the 30-year-old via helicopter, but pronounced him dead at the scene. 

Mazzetto is pictured above climbing a rock. He had shared the photo with his Instagram followers

The couple regularly posted pictures of themselves for their nearly 2,500 followers, many of which were romantic snaps during outings together

Initially police believed that the dropped phone had belonged to Bragante, but later found out that it was actually Mazzettos.  

Bragante later posted the final picture of Mazzetto on Instagram with a heartbreaking statement.

Our cursed last photo together. You will always be with me, my little bear, she said.

The couple regularly posted pictures of themselves for their nearly 2,500 followers, many of which were romantic snaps during outings together.

Mazetto,an entrepreneur and fitness enthusiast, was warm, generous and [had] a big desire to live, a friend told local media.  

Shark attack 

Haunting picture captured last seconds of Duncan Craws life as he was snorkelling in the distance while his toddler son Levi was playing on the sand

A picture of a toddler playing by the waters edge as his father snorkels behind was hauntingly snapped moments before he died before being eaten by a great white shark.  

Taylia Craw had no idea that this would be the last happy photo of her two-year-old son Levi together with his father, Duncan, 32, of Warrnambool in western Victoria, in January 2021.

The young family had been camping at Port MacDonnell on South Australias Limestone Coast when Mr Craw disappeared in the water as his wife and son enjoyed the beach, unaware something was wrong.

As Levi played with his yellow spade on the sand in the foreground, Mr Craw can be seen snorkelling in the distance, to the top left of the little boy.

Minutes later he was gone, his last moments of life captured in a haunting picture.

Mrs Craw was on the sand when she lost sight of her husband. 

He was the best father to Levi and a beautiful husband and best friend to Tay, his high-school sweetheart, the family said in a statement. 

Mr Craw, an operations manager, had been looking forward to his hard earned break of a few days on the beach with his wife and son.

It is believed Mr Craw died suddenly from an unknown natural cause before his body was eaten by a great white shark that was seen in the area.

This picture shows an enhanced frame of the tiny figure of Mr Craw, 32, in the background

Mr Craw had been on trip to the beach with his wife Taylia and their two-year-old son Levi (pictured together). The fathers remains were later found in the water 

Mr Craw, an operations manager, had been looking forward to his hard earned break of a few days on the beach with his wife and son 

His remains were found in the water after search teams earlier recovered a torn wetsuit and flippers from the scene. 

While we may never know for sure, based on the evidence we do have, we now believe it is most likely Duncan suffered a medical episode long before the arrival of the shark, the family said in a statement. 

It brings us comfort to know that he would have passed away peacefully in the water.  

The family have vowed to keep pursuing a healthy outdoors lifestyle in Mr Craws memory.

We want everyone to know the ocean is still a place of peace and beauty for us, they said. We will keep enjoying the outdoors, remembering Duncan as we do so.

Plane crash

Pictures developed from cameras at the crash site show passengers during their final moments before the plane crashed

On November 28, 1979, Air New Zealand flight 901 crashed into the side of the Antarctic mountain, killing all 257 on board. 

The crash was the worst peacetime disaster New Zealands history and caused a ripple around the country as victims and authorities looked for someone to blame. 

The accident came just two years after Air New Zealand began operating scenic flights over Antarctica.

Pilot, Capt Jim Collins, brought the plane down to 2,000ft in thick clouds so passengers on the DC 10 could get a better view of the Arctic.

The flight was the height of luxury with the entire cabin first class with a menu to match that included a Champagne breakfast.

Pictures developed from cameras at the crash site show passengers during their final moments before the plane crashed. 

The weather was poor with thick cloud coverage meaning it was hard to tell what they were looking at as they as they orbited across the ice and snow.

Capt Collins must have assumed he was on the same flight path which he had used before for the 11-hour non-stop round trip from Auckland, New Zealand.

The flight was the height of luxury with the entire cabin first class with a menu to match that included a Champagne breakfast

The final image of what is believed to be the plane at the moment of impact - the fluid on the window is speculated to have been fuel

Passengers were pictured enjoying beverages and looking out of the windows

The wreckage of an Air New Zealand DC-10 lies on the side of Mount Erebus in the Antarctic, Nov. 30, 1979

An iceberg lies in the Ross Sea with Mount Erebus in the background near McMurdo Station

Fuselage of the DC-10 that crashed in 1979 into Mount Erebus, Antarctica

He unknowingly circled volcano Mount Erebus twice on descent, narrowly missing hitting the mountain as he attempted to avoid gathering clouds. 

Capt Collins could be heard on the black box recording doubting what he was seeing from the cockpit as the plane dropped to 2,000 feet and then 1,500 feet as impact neared.

Actually, those conditions dont look very good at all - do they? he told his crew, before realising that they were on the wrong course. Were 26 miles north, well have to climb out of this, he told them.

But as he attempted to turn the plane away from Erebus the DC10 crashed.

Authorities later struggled to determine if the crash was Air New Zealands fault or pilot error. Theories included that the pilots were briefed of a flight path which was different to the one which was being followed by the planes computer. 

Investigators also considered if a whiteout - which is when light between the snow and clouds overhead give an illusion of clear visibility - caused the crash.

Tiger encounter 

Tiger-fanatic Maqsood went to New Delhi Zoo in September 2014 to admire his favourite animals. But the 22-year-old, who is said to have been under the influence of alcohol, climbed into the white tiger enclosure

Tiger-fanatic Maqsood went to New Delhi Zoo in September 2014 to admire his favourite animal.

But the 22-year-old, who is said to have been under the influence of alcohol, climbed into the white tiger enclosure - despite several attempts by zoo security to keep him away from the endangered animals.

Once he had jumped into the enclosure, the tiger grabbed Maqsood by the neck as terrified onlookers began throwing sticks and stones at the animal to try to save him.

Shocking photos show the tiger standing over Maqsood, who can be seen curled into a ball, trying to protect his head with his hands.

A witness said he raced to the enclosure after hearing screams, to see him locked in the tigers jaws, writhing badly in pain.

Around 1.30pm, when we were in the reptiles area, we heard very loud screams, the witness told local media.

We saw that a white tiger had caught a boy by his neck and he was writhing badly in pain. He kept suffering for the next 10-15 minutes but nobody helped him.

Another witness said the tiger kept roaming around the enclosure, holding Maqsood by the neck.

Once he had jumped into the enclosure, the tiger grabbed Maqsood by the neck as terrified onlookers began throwing sticks and stones at the animal to try to save him

The tiger is pictured above standing on top of Maqsood

Officials are pictured at the edge of the enclosure after Maqsood was killed

Zoo officials said that security had tried to keep the man away from the tiger enclosure.

Despite repeated warnings that he shouldnt get too close to the outdoor enclosure, the man eventually climbed over a knee-high fence and small hedges, then jumped down 18 feet into a protective moat, National Zoological Park spokesman Riyaz Ahmed Khan said.

Authorities eventually frightened the tiger into a small cage inside the enclosure.

Maqsood, whose body remained in the outdoor enclosure two hours after the attack, was dead by the time help reached him, Khan said.

It was later revealed by one of his classmates that Maqsood was obsessed with tigers and had various pictures of the animals on his phone.

Maqsood even had a tattoo of Goddess Durga sitting on a tiger on his right hand, according to the autopsy results.

Avalanche death 

Filippo Bari snapped a grinning selfie of himself in front of a glacier in the Dolomites in Italy minutes before he was killed in an avalanche in July 2022

A 27-year-old Italian mountaineer snapped a grinning selfie of himself in front of a glacier in the Dolomites in Italy minutes before he was killed in an avalanche in July 2022.

Filippo Bari, who has a four-year-old son, sent the picture to his family with the message look where I am just 20 minutes before a huge chunk of the Marmolada glacier broke off, sending an avalanche of ice, snow and rocks down the slope. 

Italy has blamed the collapse on climate change and had feared more of the glacier could come crashing down, which prevented access to much of the area where the hikers, some roped together, were buried. 

Bari, who had been hiking with five friends at the time of the tragedy, was identified by his family as one of the victims of the tragedy. 

Although Bari was an expert mountain hiker, his brother, Andrea, told Italian state TV that his family always told him to be careful in the mountains, above all in these temperatures. 

Andrea said his brother, who lived in Malo, Vicenza province, with his partner Jelena and four-year-old son Filippo sent the selfie of himself smiling whilst wearing a helmet and sunglasses in front of the glacier only 20 minutes before the avalanche came down.

He passed away doing what he loved, Andrea said.

A helicopter flies over the avalanche area in the aftermath of an avalanche on the Marmolada Mountain in Canazei, Italy, on July 4, 2022

The avalanche killed 11 people - six men and three women from Italy as well as two men from the Czech Republic - and injured eight 

This aerial view taken near Canazei on July 5, 2022 from a rescue helicopter shows the Punta Rocca glacier that collapsed on the mountain of Marmolada

Bari, who worked in a hardware store in Isola Vicentina, had been planning on conquering Monte Rosa, which straddles Italy and Switzerland, later that month.

Andrea said of his brother: Filippo was a great lover of the mountains and nature in general.

He had already done several high-altitude outings, always accompanied by experienced people and with all the necessary equipment.

The avalanche killed 11 people - six men and three women from Italy as well as two men from the Czech Republic - and injured eight.