Sad news from Russia. The International Business Times reported last week that a 17-year old school boy from the province of Volgoda Oblast perished after falling nine floors in an attempt to take a high risk selfie for his Instagram page.
The young man, who goes by the name Andre Retrovsky on his VK social media page, was a thrill seeker with many documented exploits. His Instagram, which goes by the name drewsssik, contains many photos that showcased him walking along metal beams, hanging from rooftops, and sitting on ledges.
Unfortunately, the rope that was being used to support him snapped, sending him crashing into the ground nine floors below. He was rushed to the hospital but passed away two hours later.
In an ominous bit of foreshadowing, the last post he uploaded to his Instagram featured the very rope that would lead to his death. Many mourners have since left their condolences on the image.
According to CNET, the Russian government is aware of the perils many will go through to get that perfect shot. Back in July, Vladimir Putin's government issued a selfie-taking guide that warned against taking photos in high risk situations such as these.
Some of the warnings in the pamphlet include:
"A cool selfie could cost you your life," and "a selfie with a weapon kills".
"Unfortunately we have noted recently that the number of accidents caused by lovers of self-photography is constantly increasing," said government aide Yelena Alexeyeva when speaking to The Guardian earlier this year. "Since the beginning of the year we are talking about some hundred cases of injuries for sure."
