17 Disturbing Photos With Horrifying Backstories

11. The Hiker In The Background

Hike 2

Two 22-year old friends, Saylor Guilliams and Brenden Vega, went hiking together in March 2014 in Santa Barbara County, California. The path they had chosen wasn't very well-lit and the two had fallen and injured themselves repeatedly. When hours of cries for help proved unsuccessful, Vega left his friend to go and seek assistance. Along the way the young man stumbled off a rocky cliff and fell to his death.

The next day another set of hikers were in the area taking photos of their adventure. Unbeknownst to them, Guilliams can be seen in the background of the pictures (she has red curly hair), laying face down in the mud, unable to move with a broken arm, two broken ankles and several other compound fractures.

The despair she must have felt at seeing help so close, yet infinitely far away must have been overwhelming. The hikers did eventually find Saylor and called 9-1-1. She was rescued and recovered, but the loss of her friend is something I'm sure she'll never forget.

 
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Brad Hamilton is a writer, musician and marketer/social media manager from Atlanta, Georgia. He's an undefeated freestyle rap battle champion, spends too little time being productive and defines himself as the literary version of Brock Lesnar.