If planning to celebrate National Selfie Day on June 21, take very good care when trying to strike that perfect Instagram pose. Through being too obsessed with creating the ideal shot, far too many travellers are losing their life or suffering irrecoverable injuries, warns the Europesure Travel Insurance team.
Selfie deaths and injuries are very often incurred by people travelling and holidaying. Sad instances, relating to individuals who have been distracted or reckless in pursuit of a great photo, have been recorded since around 2008. A calculation relating to selfie deaths suggests that 379 people have been killed taking selfies. This has been in various worldwide locations, in the years between January 2008 and July 2021. There have been more to add to this list since.
Take, for instance, the tragic case of young Czech gymnast, Natálie Štíchová, who fell 262 feet down Tegelberg mountain. She was trying to picture herself with the fairy-tale castle of Neuschwanstein, in August 2024.
Common factors the Europesure Travel Insurance team spot in selfie tragedies
The Europesure travel insurance team points to some common denominators within the roll call of selfie deaths. Trains feature heavily, with a proportion of those who have died wrongly thinking it a good idea to picture themselves on the roof of a moving train. Some have been electrocuted; others have fallen onto the tracks. Some have died when leaning out of a window. A fair few have been on the tracks themselves, taking a shot, oblivious to the presence of an approaching train.
This sense of being lost in the reverie of creating the perfect shot is definitely a factor in many selfie tragedies. Being lost in the moment leads to the selfie taker being unaware of their bearings. They frequently find themselves far too close to a cliff edge and move backwards, to get a better angle, only to fall down the cliff face.
This has been the situation around a number of natural features, such as rocks, mountains, waterfalls, geysers – even volcanoes. There has even been a selfie death on the ‘wonder’ that is Machu Picchu.
And steps, at incredible landmarks, can also catch people out. A Japanese tourist fell to their death whilst taking a selfie at the Taj Mahal in India.
Selfie deaths around water
Others have been unaware of sea or river movements. It has led to being engulfed by a wave and then drowning. In other cases, selfie takers have slipped and been swept away in a fast-moving river. There has also been a death from someone who fell into a canal.
Drownings have occurred when several people have tried to take a group selfie whilst standing up in a boat. Boats have tipped up or capsized, leaving the selfie takers as yet more self-portrait victims.
Wildlife’s part within selfie tragedies
The Europesure travel insurance team also discovered that, within the world of nature, creatures have been responsible for deaths or injuries within selfie scenarios. There have been several incidents of selfie-takers being trampled to death by elephants. Another selfie taker was gored by a bison; one was killed by a bull and another had an unhappy ending thanks to a rattlesnake. In February this year, one selfie taker, trying to be pictured with a shark, in shallow water in the Turks and Caicos Islands, lost both hands.
Reckless behaviour and travel insurance implications
Being reckless around man-made structures has also seen selfie takers fall off balconies, tall roofs, walls and bridges. The urge to grab a wonderful picture has led to them forgetting basic safety rules and deliberately climbing on to structures, to get a better backdrop.
The Europesure travel insurance team reminds travellers that climbing on to buildings or structures, or jumping, other than to save a life, are actions that would not be covered by their travel insurance policy. That means there would be no claim permissible for funeral expenses and the repatriation of a body, should reckless selfie-taking lead to death.
Others of those who have lost their lives have been equally reckless, by climbing over safety barriers. They have deliberately ventured into areas marked as danger zones. In fact, two children witnessed the death of their parents, who did this very thing.
Trying to take selfies amidst thunder and lightning storms is an equally bad idea. There has been at least one instance where a selfie stick has actually acted like a lightning conductor.
Europesure’s travel insurance team offers advice
Europesure’s travel insurance team says it simply isn’t worth risking life and limb for what you deem the perfect selfie. You should never even contemplate taking a selfie on a cliff edge or by climbing on to an unsafe structure. If near any body of water, you need to keep your wits about you. Never venture onto rocks in places where a riptide or wave could catch you out. And do not head down to slippery riverbanks or pathways. You could tumble into moving water.
If your selfie is less than perfect, a little editing back at base might be the answer – and for another good reason. Europesure highlights how thieves scroll through social media accounts to spot who is overseas posting selfies. Armed with the information that a property could be vacant, they then specifically target that home. It’s easy enough to work out an address, using online tools. Thieves also references posted pics, to learn what valuables may lay in store at the property.
Should posting a selfie lead to a break-in, you could find your home insurance claim turned down. You simply did not take “reasonable care” to prevent the occurrence from happening. Taking a selfie overseas, and immediately posting it, has been likened to leaving your home’s doors and windows open.
Personal safety in selfie scenarios
Then there is the issue of personal safety, if you are travelling alone. Posting selfies, as you make your way, provides those who might seek to do you harm with a means to track you. Simply do not do it in ‘real time’, if at all, says the Europesure Travel Insurance team.
Your selfie could also land you in a lot of trouble overseas, if you inadvertently picture yourself in front of a sensitive building that the law dictates should not be photographed. This could be something like a military or naval base, government building or airport. You might also offend the sensitivities of whoever else is behind you, in the same shot. This could present problems, for religious and cultural reasons.
Flashing an expensive phone around, whilst in some parts of the world, could also see you quickly losing it. So, be very cautious as to where you take your selfies, to avoid becoming a theft target. Equally, if trying to upload your selfies on a public wi-fi service overseas, you could find your personal accounts hacked, unless you take the precaution of using a VPN. The Europesure Travel Insurance team advises travellers to always stay alert to all of these risks.
Selfies and mental and physical health
Of course, there are other good reasons to not bother with selfies at all. One is mental health, as selfies encourage an obsession with looking our best and continuously comparing ourselves to others. That can hit self-esteem hard and lead to all sorts of other issues, such as eating disorders.
And did you know you can also develop selfie wrist – a repetitive injury strain caused by continually snapping yourself with your phone.
When you put it all together, it’s just not worth risking everything for a look-at-me snap. Far better to use your eyes to take in the view before you, relax and just breathe it all in. If you really must take a selfie, do it in a completely safe environment where nothing bad should befall you.
Using a front-facing camera phone or traditional camera, may keep you safer and more aware of your surroundings. If you need to specifically cover a top-of-the-range phone or camera, check out our Europesure Travel Insurance gadget insurance add-on, which you can buy alongside either single trip or annual travel insurance cover, to top up your valuables cover.
