Tourist Disappears Into Atlantic Ocean While Taking a Selfie
A tourist has disappeared into the Atlantic Ocean after she was swept away by a wave while reportedly taking a selfie with her husband.
According to Madeiran news outlet Diário de Notícias, a woman was reportedly taking a photo with her husband in Ponta Delgada pier in Portugal on Sunday afternoon.
However, Diário de Notícias reports as the couple posed to take a selfie together, they were suddenly swept away by a strong wave. According to a witness, the man and the woman were both dragged into the Atlantic Ocean.
The man eventually made his way out of the strong waves. However, the 63-year-old woman reportedly disappeared into the waters while taking a selfie and is still missing.
“The man managed to get out of the water by his own means, but the woman was never seen again”, a member of the public tells Diário de Notícias.
Local authorities said that there have been several tragic episodes in the area and individuals put themselves in dangerous situations near the sea.
“There is little that can be done to avoid these risk situations,” The Captain of the Port of Funchal, Rui Teixeira tells the publication in a statement.
“We can carry out more awareness campaigns, but we cannot close the areas next to the sea along the entire coast of the island of Madeira. What we have seen is that people take a lot of risks and frequent dangerous areas given the local sea conditions.”
A study by the iO Foundation found 379 people were killed while taking selfies around the world between January 2008 and July 2021.
India ranked at the top of the list with 100 deaths while the U.S. came second with 39 deaths.
The researchers of the iO report also compiled data on the 10 most dangerous places on earth to take a selfie. These spots include the Glen Canyon in the U.S., Niagara Falls in Canada, Charco del Burro in Colombia, and Penha Beach in Brazil.
Last year, PetaPixel reported that more people in Australia are dying after accidentally falling from cliffs and experts believe selfies are behind the growing trend.
Image credits: Header photo licensed via Depositphotos.
