Pictures can immortalize important moments in life, like weddings, birthdays, graduations, and family reunions. But what happens when a truly unique moment is caught on camera just seconds before disaster strikes? Such situations can be funny and slightly disturbing at the same time.

Have you ever imagined relaxing at the beach and taking a photo of yourself while being blissfully unaware of a gigantic wave coming in your direction? Or your dog vomiting while you’re taking a selfie?

Brace yourself, here’s a list of 75 pictures taken seconds before disaster struck.

1. ‘I deserve a piece of the cake too’

This dog probably didn’t hear the saying: ‘You can’t have your cake and eat it’. Even if he did, he just proved it wrong.

2. Undersea joga

If this doesn’t prove the power of meditation, nothing does. There’s nothing we can’t do if we really put our mind to it.

3. Mountain climbing for beginners

Tip number one for all future mountaneers: never lose your glasses while scaling a cliff rising steeply above the sea. Not only you’ll need new glasses but will also have a hard time finishing your ascent.

4. Moon dance

Drinking and dancing at the same time is not a terribly good idea. This couple looks as if they’re on a space shuttle, don’t you think so too?

5. ‘Jesus breakdancing for his friends’

What we’re seeing on this image is either a miracle or a hoax. Either way, it’s funny. You don’t see something like it every day.

6. Somebody’s luck just ran out

Did you also spent a lot of time as a kid running around your garden and trying to find that four-leaf clover? Well, even if you did find it, the truth is, it doesn’t always work.

7. Accidents happen

Driving a bike on the street may be more dangerous than it seems. Remember to watch where’re going, unless you want to learn that the hard way, like the girl on this image.

8. Not on my turf

Bad things happen when you invade your canine’s territory. Dogs take that very seriously, you know.

9. Living on edge

It’s easy to let oneself slip at pool parties. One drink too much and you may find yourself dancing on the edge – quite literally.

10. Don’t try this at home

So many things can go wrong when you’re trying to perform stunts that you lack the skill to pull. That must have have been one painful landing.

11. A selfie gone wrong

All those people on social media spend a lot of time trying to capture that perfect selfie to post on their profiles. One dog managed to create an unforgettable selfie in less than a second.

12. When things get out of hand

Things can go wrong very qucikly unless you pay close attention to what you’re doing. Thankfully the baby was ok.

13. One bad kitty

Cats are born explorers and their curiosity is hard to satisfy and they have a way of getting to strangest places. Judging by what’s happening on this image, it was likely too late to do something to prevent the imminent disaster.

14. The calm before the storm

There’s something strangely calming about this image. It makes us appreciate nature and all its wonders.

15. An unwanted shower

It looks like an amateur version of Punk’d but that didn’t prevent it from achieving its goal. She didn’t even see it coming.

16. Don’t point that finger at me!

When you’re fed up with all those annoying tourists posing with you for a selfie, you have to take matters into your own hands. In this case, a beak.

17. Say cheese

The bad thing about pictures is that they can remind you of the moments you’d rather forget. Let’s hope the boy in the top row on the left didn’t start a domino effect.

18. Grandma rules

Whoever says grandmas are not tough is now proven wrong. That will teach them not to play with monster trucks.

19. Not in the face

There’s nothing more rewarding than watching your kid swing a baseball bat for the very first time. Well, everyone’s entitled to a few mistakes.

20. That’s one rough landing

Who cares about the ice when playground is in sight? It will be a valuable experience for the kid, though. No matter how hard you want to play, you must always watch your steps.

21. ‘A Bath Before The Snap’

For one brief moment it looked like the Niagara Falls and not a high school building. Fortunately, it happened before everyone heard about the ice bucket challenge.

22. Beware of the exploding baloons

What could have been a relaxing massage turned into something entirely different in a matter of seconds. We can only imagine what a surprise it was for her.

23. Baywatch

After a long and exhausting day at the beach, we all need a relaxing shower to lift our spirits. A mud bath is even better, not to mention that it has incredible health benefits.

24. No desert tonight

Despite her best efforts, she couldn’t save what was left of her desert after she realized it was going to fall off the plate. It teaches us an important lesson: don’t pose for a selfie with your desert.

25. That could not have ended well…

It’s one thing to pull a prank on your friends or family but this is just cruel. We don’t even want to imagine what happened just moments after this picture was taken.

26. Friend of the sea

If there was a contest for the most original picture taken in front of the ocean, this guy would have won it easily. On a side note, his friends don’t look too impressed.

27. Universal gravitation

Here’s a perfect way to prove that gravity is real. To be honest, they are less painful methods to do it but it’s worth to make a small sacrifice in the name of science.

28. Sweet sixteen

We can imagine the awkward silence when the question ‘What happened with my birthday cake?’ is asked. We hope this little accident didn’t spoil the party.

29. The evil goat

This looks like a scene from a horror movie. Goats can be very creepy.

30. ‘Let it rain over me’

It doesn’t bode well for all those smartphones in the vicinity when the rain inevitably starts. At least she looks as if she’s having a good time. A pity it didn’t stay that way.

31. Baptism of water

That’s some way to celebrate a co-pilot’s first combat mission. It’s one experience that he will value highly later in his career.

32. Instead of rose petals…

If it’s coffee in the mug the bride won’t be happy with what it will do to her wedding dress. But they will have something to remember this moment by when they tell their children of their wedding.

33. Jaws

Unlike the famous Spielberg movie, this time the victim wasn’t an unsuspecting teen which doesn’t make it any less haunting. The poor duck ran out of luck.

34. My first diet coke

Boys will be boys, no matter what. In their defense, we all need to shake things up a bit from time to time.

35. From Russia with love

When all you have is a hammer, everything looks a nail, especially if you’ve had a drink or two before you grabbed it. That’s bound to leave a nasty bruise.

36. The breaking point

You just know this is going to end up badly. What was he thinking?

37. Swing time

There’s a good reason why swings just aren’t meant for adults. Despite that fact we still enjoy to channel our inner child.

38. Always watch your back

You never know what might be lurking in the jungle. Don’t you ever turn your back on a jaguar.

39. ‘Right before the hit’

Champions aren’t born, they’re made. Only the bravest have the strength to face all the challenges. Looks like she did.

40. That hurts…

Perfection comes at a sacrifice but that doesn’t mean we should take it too literally. On the other hand, it’s also said that pain is the best teacher.

41. I didn’t see that coming

When you party like there’s no tomorrow, chances are you’re not going to see a cake hurtling towards you. Even if she did, she looks as if she doesn’t mind.

42. That’s one unique wedding picture

A man capatulting himself into the ocean in the background of your wedding picture is pretty strange, to put it mildly. We hope he didn’t crash the wedding party.

43. The ball’s mine… oh wait

This guy’s lucky moment quickly turned into a nightmare when he realized the ball was going straight for his forehead. Let’s hope the pain was worth the effort.

44. No time to escape

Why panic when you can face disaster calmly? Or it’s just the adrenalin rush that makes it possible.

45. When you hit the ground…

It doesn’t matter how many times you fail but how many times you gather the strength to get up and keep going. Failure is easier to accept when you realize that.

46. I can fly!

Do the math before you attempt something like this yourself. Otherwise it’s going to end up the same way as it did for this guy.

47. It’s just another bike ride

Here’s another reason why you shouldn’t talk on the phone while driving – or riding. It never ends well.

48. I didn’t like this shirt anyway…

A friendly tip for all amateur waiters: don’t try to carry the tray unless you’ve got at least eight hours of sleep. Otherwise keep a spare shirt close by.

49. At least he’s wearing a helmet

It goes on to prove that there’a a good reason you should always wear a helmet while riding a bike. It won’t make the fall any less embarassing, though.

50. A child in a haystack

If you could choose one surface to fall on we’re sure that it would be hay. Your back will thank you.

51. They don’t grow back in

Someone better call a tooth fairy. From now on, it will be a toothless grin.

52. The day the governor got kicked in the face

Not even governors are safe when attending sporting events. Hopefully, this one is not a political statement, but a real accident.

53. Looks like someone forgot to put the helmet on

Do you also notice that something’s terribly wrong on this image? A head scarf can never be a proper replacent for a helmet.

54. Keep calm and smile for the camera

Never allow others to ruin your special moment. Everything will be better if you just put a smile on your face. Like the girl on the image.

55. Faulty hammock

One moment you’re relaxing on the hammock and drinking your favorite drink in the peace of your backyard, the next one you find yourself on the ground and the drink spilled all over you. The hammock manufacturer should definitively get a long letter.

56. Someone scored a goal…

It isn’t as bad as it looks. They’re all smiling but the seated guy’s smile probably didn’t last long.

57. ‘Catching a home run ball’

It was a costly get but he looks like he didn’t regret it. That’s how true commitment should look like.

58. One step too far…

They could not have guessed what was going on in the background of their selfie. That’s some way to steal the spotlight.

59. It’s too late for regrets now

We got to hand it to him for the choice of costume but his other choices were plain dumb. The expression on his face demonstrates perfectly that he realized that all too late.

60. Once upon a time in the West

Nature holds many secrets that are just waiting to be discovered. Watch where you’re going though, because one wrong step may be the difference between exploring and a few broken bones.

61. ‘The Moment Before Regret’

This is what happens when we forget not to drink beer while driving, or sliding across a wet surface, for that matter. Some lessons need to be learned the hard way.

62. When you bet on the wrong horse…

The horse and the rider have to act like one to achieve perfect harmony. Sadly, that’s not what happened here.

63. Karma is a boomerang

“Went skating with my friends last night. This is what happened when my skate got clipped as I was trying to photo-bomb their photo,” wrote this guy on Reddit. He received his just punishment.

64. Nice catch

The arm didn’t do its job well but the helmet was there to save the day. He should really focus better next time.

65. Who doesn’t like orange soda

What’s a good party without a few spilled drinks? This one looks deliberate though.

66. ‘It’s Going, It’s Going, It’s Scone!’

Gravity is relentless, isn’t it? Once it’s gone it’s cone.

67. I’m Superman!

And the dumbest stunt of the year award goes too… Seriously, never tried something like this unless you want to earn second degree burns.

68. A second before distaster struck

That’s going to be a rough landing, no doubt. Let’s just hope he avoided a dangerous injury.

69. ‘Just Wanted To Take A Swim After A Day Of Drinking’

If some of the previous images haven’t persuaded you that drinking and swimming don’t go well together, this one definitively will. And don’t clap when you see someone else do it either.

70. I really didn’t think this through…

Some people obviously don’t realize it’s wise to think before they act. Experience will teach them one day, we can hope so, at least.

71. Caution: wet floor!

Slippery floors can be such a nuisance when you’re in a hurry to jump in front of the camera at the last moment. You can bet this picture will have a special place in this guy’s photo album.

72. Wake up time

You can’t really know what ‘rude awakening’ really means until you experience something like that. What would you do next if you were in his shoes?

73. You can’t beat gravity

It’s best to face your problems head-on. Unless you find yourself in this guy’s position.

74. Bikes can fly

Looks pretty scary but remarkably, the rider managed to walk away with only a few scratches. Still, don’t ever try to do something like it yourself.

75. ‘I Love Rolling Chairs’

The office is a more dangerous place that it seems. If you think you’re safe sitting in a chair, think again.

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Source: Bored Panda