Number 8: Hookworm Horror In January of 2018, Canadian lovebirds Katie
Stephens and Eddie Zytner took home a very unpleasant souvenir from their vacation in
the Dominican Republic; hookworms.
When Stephens and Zytner did whatever every other young, in-love couple loves to do; take
a romantic stroll on the beach, they got more than they bargained for.
Unfortunately, the sand was jam-packed with cutaneous larva migrans, also known as foot
worms or hookworms.
Although the itching started immediately, Stephens and Zytner initially wrote off their
rashy feet as sand fleas or another tropical nuisance.
Unfortunately, after they returned to Canada, they realized they were dead wrong.
The itching evolved into horrible blistering, and no doctor was able to diagnose the ailment.
It got so bad that the pair was unable to put on shoes or socks comfortably and had
to use crutches to ease the pain on their destroyed feet.
Fortunately, they ran into a doctor who had seen this condition before; and they correctly
diagnosed the two with hookworms, a gross but treatable infection that can be cured
with some Ivermectin.
Next time you fancy a moonlight stroll down sprawling tropical beaches, remember that
you might just be picking up a third wheel along the way.
Number 7: Unexpected Inferno Chris and Kate Anderson were undoubtedly looking
for a little bit of warmth and sea when they took their Jeep to a Wollongong, Australian
beach in 2021, but they wound up getting a whole different type than they were expecting.
A Sunday Funday out at the beach turned horrifying when their trusty ride burst into a fiery
inferno without any prior warning.
Although the pair miraculously survived, it was a harrowing ordeal that neither of them
is likely to forget anytime soon.
The two were saved by the most innocuous of things; a roadside mango stand where they
stopped for a fresh treat.
As they slowed the car to inspect the fruits, the stand workers noticed something going
on below the car and called for them to get out immediately.
It couldn’t have happened quickly enough.
Their Jeep Wrangler burst into flames, falling to pieces right before their very eyes.
While the pair escaped unharmed, Kate Anderson is still wary of Jeeps and vows to never sit
in one ever again.
It’s probably for the best!
Number 6: Killer Photo In 2010, an Australian woman learned that
sometimes getting the perfect shot isn’t worth it- the hard way.
Cape Douglas is a rocky stretch of coastline that’s famous for its epic views and dizzying
heights.
The Ouyen, Western Victoria native, was visiting the cape for a fishing competition when she
and her husband decided to stop and capture the gorgeous panoramic landscape and the sea.
Unfortunately, the woman lost her footing and fell 164 feet to her death off the rocky
side of the cliff.
Cape Douglas is not alone in photographic fatalities.
Every year, people lose their lives trying to snap that perfect picture or selfie from
ledges.
Perhaps the lesson here is that just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should.
Always keep your feet firmly planted on solid ground.
Number 5: Snorkeling Nightmare
In April 2010, Morris Township, New Jersey resident Lauren Failla got more than she bargained
for while snorkeling in Neil Cove in India’s Bay of Bengal.
Neil Cove is home to Barefoot Resort and also a savage lurker who ambushed the snorkeler
and left her companion reeling.
Failla came snorkel mask to snout with one of nature’s apex predators; a saltwater
crocodile.
Saltwater crocs are the biggest reptiles on the planet, weighing 2,205 pounds, or about
3 quarters the weight of your average car.
They are notoriously aggressive creatures and will actively and enthusiastically attack
humans on both land and in the water.
Speaking of the water, saltwater crocodiles can live in both fresh and saltwater, making
them a known menace for surfers.
Some surfers would even prefer to be in the water with a Great White rather than tangle
with one of these vicious reptiles!
Unfortunately for Failla, her companion Jito Chadha was unable to save her, and the crocodile
drug her deep under the waves.
It took a full 2 days to recover her body.
Number 4: Jet Blast Catastrophe In 2017, a jet blast knocked a New Zealand
woman off her feet and ended her life.
St. Martin’s Maho Beach is a fabulous place for tourists and locals alike, and in addition
to gorgeous sands and crystal clear Caribbean waters, it has one other draw; its proximity
to Princess Juliana International Airport.
Planes fly low over Maho Beach on a regular basis, exciting the gathering throngs with
their loud engines and close proximity, but it’s wise to keep your eyes on the skies-
and the signs- if you’re going to frolic near where aircraft fly low.
The area where the airport meets the beach is a particularly popular place to try to
plane spot, and this is where the unfortunate New Zealand tourist was waiting when she lost
her life, ironically clinging to a part of the fence that bore a warning sign about jet
blast injuries.
Tragically, the sign proved to be more relevant than ever on that horrible day, and she was
picked up into the air and thrown back to the ground, sustaining injuries that would
eventually end her life.
Number 3: Fatal Emergency Landing For Ommy Irizarry and his daughter Oceana,
a routine trip to the beach turned into a full-fledged nightmare when a 1972 Piper Cherokee
had to make an emergency landing on Caspersen Beach near Venice, Florida.
Irizarry, originally from Georgia, was struck and killed by the floundering plane.
His daughter Oceana initially survived the impact, but was critically injured and succumbed
to her injuries 2 days later.
The pilot of the rouge plane, Karl Kokomoor, said that he couldn’t return to the airport
and was forced to land on the beach, claiming that he didn’t see the pair and that he
thought the beach was deserted.
Neither Kokomoor nor his passenger was injured during their emergency landing.
What’s so tragic and heartbreaking about this story is that Irizarry was a family man
who served in the United States Army as a Sergeant First Class.
He was a veteran and was celebrating his 9th wedding anniversary with his wife when misfortune
and terror fell from the sky over a tranquil beach in Florida.
Number 2: Deadly Drinks In June 2012, sisters Audrey and Noemi Belanger
were enjoying a fun girls getaway on Thailand’s party island of Koh Phi Phi when they tangled
with a bucket of unknown booze and lost their lives.
The official report is that the pair were killed by DEET, a typically-used pesticide
all over the world, although there is some controversy revolving around that diagnosis.
Some experts believe that phosphine actually led to their deaths, but we might never know
the whole story.
What we do know is that the sisters were found dead in their beds, having vomited up the
contents of their stomachs at some unknown point in the evening.
Unfortunately, their sad story is far from the only scandal that’s cursed Thailand
in recent years.
As many as 20 people have met their maker after consuming questionable substances in
the country.
Ultimately, the deadly brew probably came from the Thai island’s famous and mysterious
bucket drinks called 4x100, a blend of Kratom leaves, cough syrup, Coca Cola, and who knows
what else.
It’s supposed to cause you to hallucinate but not kill you.
Unfortunately, the girls took a gamble in the Land of Smiles and wound up paying with
their lives.
Number 1: Kidnapped In Kenya In a nightmare ripped right out of the pages
of your worst dreams, Judith and David Tebbutt found themselves right in the middle of a
Kenyan kidnapping in 2011.
The couple was staying at a family resort on Kiwayu island.
They had the whole place to themselves, a fact that Judith, who survived, had plenty
of time to reflect upon later.
Kiwayu was less than 40 miles from the Somali border, an unlucky fact that would leave 1
of them dead and the other traumatized for life.
The Tebbutts were attacked as they slept in their large tent, which had all of the creature
comforts of home except for a lock or good security system.
When Judith awoke, she saw 2 men with guns, who promptly shot her husband and took her
hostage.
What followed was 6 grueling months in uncharted terrain in Somalia.
Tebbutt was eventually released after a private security corporation intervened to help.
The pair were British citizens, and the UK government does not pay ransoms officially,
so she was allowed to languish until details could be fully sorted out.
Eventually, the Kenyan government determined that one of the hotel staff had a hand in
coordinating the murder and kidnapping, and in an uncharacteristic move, he was sentenced
to death.
Thanks for watching!
Would you rather walk on a hookworm-infested beach or drink one of Thailand’s mysterious
and questionable bucket cocktails?
Let us know in the comments section below.