Photographer has important warning after bride tragically died during 'trash the dress' photoshoot
Maria Pantazopoulos died in a Canadian river in 2012
After a bride tragically passed away whilst taking part in a viral 'trash the dress' trend just weeks after her wedding, one photographer reiterated a chilling warning to anyone thinking of embarking on a photoshoot in water.
Maria Pantazopoulos - a 30-year-old Canadian - married her husband Billy in the summer of 2012, but would sadly lose her life on her special day.
The 'trash the dress' trend has saturated social media for several years now, with brides abandoning the former tradition of carefully preserving their wedding gown by completely destroying it.
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In the case of Maria, however, she opted to soak her dress in a waterfall, and hired a photographer to capture the special moment.
The group travelled to the picturesque Ouareau River near Dorwin Falls in Rawdon, Montreal for the special occasion.
It wasn't until moments after Maria climbed down into the water and began swimming that the photography team - led by Louis Pagakis - noticed something serious wrong.
She hadn't realised how much her hefty gown would weigh when wet, and was pulled down beneath the water.
"She went in and her dress got heavy, I tried everything I could to save her," Louis recalled during a conversation with CTV News.
"I jumped in, I was screaming and yelling, we tried our best."
Louis tried to rescue her and was pulled under himself, but the dress was too heavy.
Maria's body was recovered hours later.
Since then, one photographer, Rhiannon D'Averc, made a conscious effort to warn customers and clients about the risks involved with water-based photoshoots in a post on Summerana.com.
It isn't just the risk of being dragged underwater or weighed down that she expressed concern about, however, and pointed out several other major warnings.
Getting swept away
Standing close to the edge of the water may not pose a significant risk, but just by stepping inches away from the bank - especially if close to running water - can hugely endanger your life.
Water currents are notorious unpredictable to navigate, and often you don't know you're struggling to swim against it until it's too late.
And in these sinister circumstances, you could be dragged away - potentially a long distance from where you started.
"As you are pulled along, you will get weaker through trying to fight the current," the expert photographer D'Averc wrote in her 2022 blog post.
"And there are documented cases of people finally becoming so weak that they drowned or lost consciousness."
She added that aside from being pulled under, there are other risks involved with being swept away, including being thrown into the path of sharp rocks or tree roots, which could result in broken bones, cuts, and bruises.
Water-borne diseases
Contaminated water can be found in various different bodies, including pools, fountains, lakes and rivers.
The most common recreational water illness is diarrhea caused by germs, but shigellosis - which is common in swimming pools - can also cause fever, nausea, vomiting, and cramps.
Animal waste found in these waters can - in the most severe cases - led to leptospirosis, defined by fever, chills, myalgia, jaundice, rash, and hemorrhaging into the skin.
Hepatitis A can also be a risk in sewage-contaminated waters.
Natural toxins can have devastating effects on your health, as can the chemicals found in these waters, which themselves can lead to chemical burns, skin reactions, or other diseases.
Dangerous animals
Whilst UK waters are predominantly free from animals, photoshoots taken in foreign waters can prove dangerous.
In catfish-littered waters in the States, for example, these often huge fish can penetrate human flesh.
Stingrays and eels can also be toxic, and in some cases, fatal.
Oceans can also home larger beasts, whilst large birds surrounding rivers and lakes can become overprotective of their nests and attack those they view as a threat.
"Big fish could even knock you over," Rhiannon also points out. "Leading to trouble like being swept away or held underwater by the weight of the current, as we discussed above."
If you wish to take photos by a body of water, she suggests 'checking up on the water source first' and 'any warnings that may exist in relation to it', as well as taking along a 'larger team' to help if need be.
Rhianna Benson