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A Tsunami Strikes, a Selfie Is Taken—What Happens Next Goes Viral

Have you ever thought about what you’d do in a life-or-death situation? Would you scream for help, run for cover, or maybe make sure you look perfect for a social media post? For one woman in Indonesia, the answer is shockingly clear: Take a selfie. And not just any selfie, but one during a raging flood caused by a tsunami-like wave.
It sounds like a scene out of a disaster movie, right? But this is very much real life. And this crazy video is going viral all around the world now for all the wrong reasons.

A Tsunami Wave, A Selfie Stick, and Zero Fear

This isn’t your average “caught in a storm” situation. No, this is the Bono wave—a rare natural phenomenon that occurs when tidal currents meet river currents in the Kampar River of Indonesia. The result? A massive wave that can surge up the river, sometimes as high as 15 feet. A sight to behold, but not exactly something you’d want to be standing in the middle of. Yet, this woman decided that, in the face of the potentially deadly force of nature, it was the perfect moment to grab a selfie.
So, as the enormous wave surged toward her, this woman stood undeterred. In fact, she grabbed her selfie stick and began to film the scene. Did she panic? Nope. Did she seem the least bit worried? Not at all. Instead, she calmly captured every moment of the flash flood, even as the water began to rise and swallow her up. What’s incredible is that she’s not the only one doing this. Next to her, you can see a young man who also doesn’t think about his safety at all. All he wants to do is film the Bono wave for his social media. How crazy is that?