20 TV Tragedies That Happened LIVE
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VOICE OVER: Peter DeGiglio
People still remember where they were when many of these happened. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're examining twenty of the most shocking things that ever occurred on live television. Our list includes moments involving Hurricane Katrina, the Munich Massacre, the 1992 Los Angeles riots and more. Did you see any of these live? Let us know in the comments below!
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re examining twenty of the most shocking things that ever occurred on live television. Did you see any of these live? Let us know in the comments below!
Known for his massive frame and red fez, Tommy Cooper was a brilliant entertainer who fused magic with comedy, creating an act that was famous on British TV. Unfortunately, he was also a very unhealthy man, being a heavy smoker and drinker. On April 15, 1984, Cooper performed in front of twelve million viewers on a variety show called “Live from Her Majesty’s.” Partway through his act, Cooper became unresponsive and collapsed. As he was known for his kooky brand of humor, the audience thought this was all part of the act and laughed, not knowing that he had suffered a fatal heart attack. Cooper was rushed to the hospital but was announced dead on arrival.
Live sporting events can certainly end in disaster - and broadcast death to millions of viewers. On April 15, 1989, Liverpool and Nottingham Forest were playing each other in the FA Cup semi-final. Liverpool fans were only given one access point into the stadium, resulting in a severe bottleneck. The oppressive overcrowding eventually led to a fatal crush, as thousands of spectators were trapped in the fenced-in standing pen. Over 90 died and nearly 800 were injured. Three more victims passed throughout the years from their injuries, bringing the death toll to 97. The tragedy was initially blamed on hooliganism, but later inquiries found that the design of the stadium and the negligence of the police were responsible.
News channels worldwide tuned in to Southeast Asia on December 26, 2004, to cover what is now known as the Boxing Day Tsunami. The most powerful earthquake in recorded Asian history struck off the coast of Sumatra, resulting in enormous tsunamis that measured up to 100 feet high. These tsunamis crashed into the surrounding coastal areas, killing over 220,000 people. Viewers watching from home were given devastating images of the tragedy, like entire villages destroyed and inundated with water. The visuals also helped aid in the humanitarian response, with countries from around the world raising $14 billion to help aid in the recovery.
The Ballpark in Arlington opened in April 1994 and was immediately met with tragedy. During the very first game in the stadium, a fan fell over a railing in right field and broke numerous bones. It would be an ominous sign of things to come. Fast forward to July 7, 2011, with the Rangers playing the Athletics. A foul ball went into left field, and Josh Hamilton threw it to fan Shannon Stone, who was attending the game with his six-year-old son. Stone reached for the ball and flipped over the railing, falling twenty feet and landing head-first on the concrete below. While he was conscious following the fall, he died of blunt force trauma on the way to the hospital.
Tragedy can strike at any time, even while covering a seemingly innocuous police pursuit. Phoenix stations KNXV-TV and KTVK were both covering the chase via helicopter and airing it live on their respective stations. During the chase, one reporter yells in surprise while the camera turns to static and a metallic screeching noise can be heard. The anchor back in the station looks at the camera in surprise and simply states, “We don’t know what has just happened right there.” What happened was that both news helicopters collided in mid-air, sending both to the ground and killing all four people onboard. Today, all English-language news stations in Phoenix share one helicopter to prevent further tragedies of this kind.
When someone is at the top of their game, it seems like they are invincible. Dale Earnhardt is a NASCAR legend, having won seven Cup Series Championships. But his life came to an end on February 18, 2001, while Earnhardt was racing in the Daytona 500. On the very last turn of the final lap, Earnhardt made contact with two other cars and crashed head-on into the retaining wall at 160 miles per hour. One of the racers that Earnhardt had hit rushed over to his car, and after looking inside, waved frantically for the paramedics. He knew immediately that Earnhardt was gone, but his death wasn’t officially announced for another two hours.
On the early morning of August 26, 2015, news reporter Alison Parker was interviewing Vicki Gardner, the director of the local chamber of commerce, about upcoming activities at Smith Mountain Lake. Also in attendance was photojournalist Adam Ward, who was filming the segment for Roanoke’s WDBJ. At exactly 6:46 a.m., gunshots rang out and Ward’s camera dropped to the ground before footage switched back to the studio. An ex-employee of WDBJ who was fired for volatile behavior committed the shooting, killing both Parker and Ward and injuring Gardner. A manhunt ensued and the perpetrator eventually took his own life.
After it was found that he had both cancer and HIV, a distraught Daniel Jones decided to take his own life and protest American healthcare in the process. To do so, he decided that he would die on live TV. He called the police on himself and proceeded to act erratically on the LA freeway, throwing things off a bridge, making obscene gestures at the news helicopters, and unfurling a protest banner about greedy HMOs. And then things got violent. Jones proceeded to light his truck on fire, and after walking around stunned and disoriented, he took his own life with a shotgun. All of this was shown on live TV in graphic detail, leading to widespread criticism of Los Angeles news stations.
For almost a week in the spring of 1992, Los Angeles was on fire and all the various news stations were there to capture it. The riot began after the four police officers charged with beating Rodney King were acquitted, and they continued unabated for six days, resulting in 63 deaths, thousands of injuries, and over $1 billion in property damage. The riot was extensively covered in the mainstream media, capturing widespread acts of vandalism, destruction, and intentional harm. This includes the attack on truck driver Reginald Denny, who was pulled from his vehicle and nearly beaten to death in front of live news helicopters.
On February 28, 1993, agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms attempted to serve an arrest warrant on the Branch Davidians, a cult running out of Mount Carmel Center in rural Texas. A gunfight erupted, resulting in ten deaths. This shooting instigated the Waco siege, with the FBI stationed outside Mount Carmel for nearly two months while the Branch Davidians remained inside. The siege ended in tragedy on April 19, when a massive fire burned down the complex and killed over 70 people. To this day, the events of Waco are fiercely debated, with the fire being blamed on both parties. Regardless, it was a media sensation that resulted in enormous controversy for the American government.
Philippine National Police officer Rolando Mendoza was fired in 2009. One year later, on August 23, 2010, Mendoza embarked on a tragically misaimed attempt to get his job back. He planned to hijack a bus and hold it hostage until he was given a chance to defend himself in court. The crisis lasted hours, and the negotiations between Mendoza and the police played out on live TV. But then Mendoza’s brother Gregorio illegally crossed the exclusion zone to speak to Rolando, leading to his arrest. Enraged by his brother’s arrest, which he saw occur through live news reports on the bus, Mendoza began executing hostages. Nine people were killed, including Mendoza, who was ultimately shot by a sniper.
According to the CBC, the Munich massacre was the first time that an act of terrorism was aired on live television, with approximately 900 million people tuning in to watch the events unfold. It started on September 5, 1972, when a militant organization called Black September raided the Summer Olympics and targeted the Israeli team. Two people were immediately killed in the raid and nine others were taken hostage, with Black September demanding the release of Palestinian prisoners. But, like the Manila crisis, this too ended in disaster. After a failed rescue attempt by the West German police, all nine hostages were ruthlessly executed. Five terrorists and a police officer were also killed in the attack, bringing the death toll to seventeen.
Much like Dale Earnhardt, Ayrton Senna is a highly decorated racer, winning the Formula One World Drivers’ Championship on three separate occasions. Driving for Williams-Renault, Senna won the first three pole positions during the 1994 World Championship, including at San Marino. But it was at San Marino that he lost his life. As Senna was turning the famous Tamburello corner on lap seven, he ran off the track and collided with the retaining wall at 145 miles per hour. His temporal artery was ruptured in the crash, necessitating immediate roadside treatment. Unfortunately, the injuries were just too grave and Senna passed away. A doctor later declared that Senna had likely died immediately upon hitting the wall, as his brain had effectively stopped functioning.
America stood still on April 20, 1999, when Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold murdered over 10 and personally injured more than 20 in Colorado’s Columbine High School. At the time, it was the deadliest high school shooting in American history, and its aftermath played out in horrifying fashion on live TV. Reporters spoke outside the school, and survivors were interviewed after escaping and fleeing to safety. Perhaps the most famous live image of the shooting was the grievously injured Patrick Ireland climbing out of the library window and falling onto a nearby vehicle. Ireland survived and became known as “the boy in the window,” so iconic and proliferated was the image throughout the mainstream media.
Natural disasters are fodder for live TV, as news stations try to keep viewers updated on any and all developments. It happened with the Boxing Day Tsunami, and it happened with Hurricane Katrina. Occurring in late August of 2005, Katrina is widely known for hitting New Orleans, where the situation was made worse by fatal flaws in the city’s levees. Most of the city was destroyed and left underwater, and the visuals of such were widely shared in the media. When all was said and done, Katrina caused $190 billion in damage and killed thousands.
The first person to take their own life on live TV was Christine Chubbuck, a news reporter working for Florida’s WXLT. Chubbuck suffered from depression, which was mainly fueled by her loneliness and inability to find a partner. With her 30th birthday quickly approaching, Chubbuck fell into despair over what she perceived as a failed social life. After throwing what many colleagues consider to be a goodbye party, Chubbuck took her own life on July 15, 1974. After reading a series of news stories, Chubbuck took out a .38 revolver and shot herself behind the right ear. The director immediately cut to black, but it was too late for the live viewers who had witnessed Chubbuck’s final moments.
Another natural disaster, more live destruction. This one occurred on March 11, 2011, when a massive earthquake struck off the east coast of Japan. It was the most powerful earthquake in Japanese history and caused waves that measured up to 130 feet and traveled almost 430 miles per hour. The destruction killed nearly 20,000 people, and hundreds of thousands more were injured and displaced. It also directly caused the Fukushima nuclear accident, which was also extensively covered in the news and which also displaced thousands. The tsunami remains the costliest natural disaster in human history, causing upwards of $300 billion in damage.
On January 20, 1981, R. Budd Dwyer became the 70th Treasurer of Pennsylvania, and he would remain as such for the next six years. Unfortunately, Dwyer was embroiled in a scandal when it was found that he accepted a bribe from Computer Technology Associates to award them a contract regarding a state tax issue. He was found guilty, and his sentencing was scheduled for January 23, 1987. He could have faced around fifty years in prison. But the day before his sentence was to be handed down, Dwyer held a news conference and subsequently shot himself with a revolver. He died instantly, with one news camera capturing the event and broadcasting it on live television.
Every ‘80s kid surely remembers the Challenger disaster. There was a ton of hype behind this launch, led mainly by the Teacher in Space Project, which allowed New Hampshire school teacher Christa McAuliffe to fly with six other astronauts. The project was enormously popular, generating widespread interest in the Challenger launch and kickstarting a cultural fascination with space exploration. As a result, schools around the country tuned in and allowed their students to watch the Challenger launch live on TV. But on January 28, 1986, they all watched the space shuttle explode in real time, killing everyone onboard. It was a national disaster of epic proportions and one that will never be forgotten.
September 11, 2001 is a day that will live in infamy. It’s one of those days that people will never forget, where they remember exactly where they were and what they were doing when they learned about it. Virtually everything about 9/11 was aired live on TV, immediately following the first plane crash and proceeding throughout the following days and weeks. Scheduled shows and programs were halted to cover the news, and viewers watching at home witnessed things like the second plane hitting the South Tower and both towers collapsing in real-time. These are indelible images that will forever remain burned into memory.
Tommy Cooper
Known for his massive frame and red fez, Tommy Cooper was a brilliant entertainer who fused magic with comedy, creating an act that was famous on British TV. Unfortunately, he was also a very unhealthy man, being a heavy smoker and drinker. On April 15, 1984, Cooper performed in front of twelve million viewers on a variety show called “Live from Her Majesty’s.” Partway through his act, Cooper became unresponsive and collapsed. As he was known for his kooky brand of humor, the audience thought this was all part of the act and laughed, not knowing that he had suffered a fatal heart attack. Cooper was rushed to the hospital but was announced dead on arrival.
The Hillsborough Disaster
Live sporting events can certainly end in disaster - and broadcast death to millions of viewers. On April 15, 1989, Liverpool and Nottingham Forest were playing each other in the FA Cup semi-final. Liverpool fans were only given one access point into the stadium, resulting in a severe bottleneck. The oppressive overcrowding eventually led to a fatal crush, as thousands of spectators were trapped in the fenced-in standing pen. Over 90 died and nearly 800 were injured. Three more victims passed throughout the years from their injuries, bringing the death toll to 97. The tragedy was initially blamed on hooliganism, but later inquiries found that the design of the stadium and the negligence of the police were responsible.
The Boxing Day Tsunami
News channels worldwide tuned in to Southeast Asia on December 26, 2004, to cover what is now known as the Boxing Day Tsunami. The most powerful earthquake in recorded Asian history struck off the coast of Sumatra, resulting in enormous tsunamis that measured up to 100 feet high. These tsunamis crashed into the surrounding coastal areas, killing over 220,000 people. Viewers watching from home were given devastating images of the tragedy, like entire villages destroyed and inundated with water. The visuals also helped aid in the humanitarian response, with countries from around the world raising $14 billion to help aid in the recovery.
Shannon Stone
The Ballpark in Arlington opened in April 1994 and was immediately met with tragedy. During the very first game in the stadium, a fan fell over a railing in right field and broke numerous bones. It would be an ominous sign of things to come. Fast forward to July 7, 2011, with the Rangers playing the Athletics. A foul ball went into left field, and Josh Hamilton threw it to fan Shannon Stone, who was attending the game with his six-year-old son. Stone reached for the ball and flipped over the railing, falling twenty feet and landing head-first on the concrete below. While he was conscious following the fall, he died of blunt force trauma on the way to the hospital.
The Phoenix News Helicopter Collision
Tragedy can strike at any time, even while covering a seemingly innocuous police pursuit. Phoenix stations KNXV-TV and KTVK were both covering the chase via helicopter and airing it live on their respective stations. During the chase, one reporter yells in surprise while the camera turns to static and a metallic screeching noise can be heard. The anchor back in the station looks at the camera in surprise and simply states, “We don’t know what has just happened right there.” What happened was that both news helicopters collided in mid-air, sending both to the ground and killing all four people onboard. Today, all English-language news stations in Phoenix share one helicopter to prevent further tragedies of this kind.
The Death of Dale Earnhardt
When someone is at the top of their game, it seems like they are invincible. Dale Earnhardt is a NASCAR legend, having won seven Cup Series Championships. But his life came to an end on February 18, 2001, while Earnhardt was racing in the Daytona 500. On the very last turn of the final lap, Earnhardt made contact with two other cars and crashed head-on into the retaining wall at 160 miles per hour. One of the racers that Earnhardt had hit rushed over to his car, and after looking inside, waved frantically for the paramedics. He knew immediately that Earnhardt was gone, but his death wasn’t officially announced for another two hours.
The Shooting of Alison Parker & Adam Ward
On the early morning of August 26, 2015, news reporter Alison Parker was interviewing Vicki Gardner, the director of the local chamber of commerce, about upcoming activities at Smith Mountain Lake. Also in attendance was photojournalist Adam Ward, who was filming the segment for Roanoke’s WDBJ. At exactly 6:46 a.m., gunshots rang out and Ward’s camera dropped to the ground before footage switched back to the studio. An ex-employee of WDBJ who was fired for volatile behavior committed the shooting, killing both Parker and Ward and injuring Gardner. A manhunt ensued and the perpetrator eventually took his own life.
Daniel V. Jones
After it was found that he had both cancer and HIV, a distraught Daniel Jones decided to take his own life and protest American healthcare in the process. To do so, he decided that he would die on live TV. He called the police on himself and proceeded to act erratically on the LA freeway, throwing things off a bridge, making obscene gestures at the news helicopters, and unfurling a protest banner about greedy HMOs. And then things got violent. Jones proceeded to light his truck on fire, and after walking around stunned and disoriented, he took his own life with a shotgun. All of this was shown on live TV in graphic detail, leading to widespread criticism of Los Angeles news stations.
The 1992 Los Angeles Riots
For almost a week in the spring of 1992, Los Angeles was on fire and all the various news stations were there to capture it. The riot began after the four police officers charged with beating Rodney King were acquitted, and they continued unabated for six days, resulting in 63 deaths, thousands of injuries, and over $1 billion in property damage. The riot was extensively covered in the mainstream media, capturing widespread acts of vandalism, destruction, and intentional harm. This includes the attack on truck driver Reginald Denny, who was pulled from his vehicle and nearly beaten to death in front of live news helicopters.
Waco
On February 28, 1993, agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms attempted to serve an arrest warrant on the Branch Davidians, a cult running out of Mount Carmel Center in rural Texas. A gunfight erupted, resulting in ten deaths. This shooting instigated the Waco siege, with the FBI stationed outside Mount Carmel for nearly two months while the Branch Davidians remained inside. The siege ended in tragedy on April 19, when a massive fire burned down the complex and killed over 70 people. To this day, the events of Waco are fiercely debated, with the fire being blamed on both parties. Regardless, it was a media sensation that resulted in enormous controversy for the American government.
The Manila Hostage Crisis
Philippine National Police officer Rolando Mendoza was fired in 2009. One year later, on August 23, 2010, Mendoza embarked on a tragically misaimed attempt to get his job back. He planned to hijack a bus and hold it hostage until he was given a chance to defend himself in court. The crisis lasted hours, and the negotiations between Mendoza and the police played out on live TV. But then Mendoza’s brother Gregorio illegally crossed the exclusion zone to speak to Rolando, leading to his arrest. Enraged by his brother’s arrest, which he saw occur through live news reports on the bus, Mendoza began executing hostages. Nine people were killed, including Mendoza, who was ultimately shot by a sniper.
The Munich Massacre
According to the CBC, the Munich massacre was the first time that an act of terrorism was aired on live television, with approximately 900 million people tuning in to watch the events unfold. It started on September 5, 1972, when a militant organization called Black September raided the Summer Olympics and targeted the Israeli team. Two people were immediately killed in the raid and nine others were taken hostage, with Black September demanding the release of Palestinian prisoners. But, like the Manila crisis, this too ended in disaster. After a failed rescue attempt by the West German police, all nine hostages were ruthlessly executed. Five terrorists and a police officer were also killed in the attack, bringing the death toll to seventeen.
The Ayrton Senna Crash
Much like Dale Earnhardt, Ayrton Senna is a highly decorated racer, winning the Formula One World Drivers’ Championship on three separate occasions. Driving for Williams-Renault, Senna won the first three pole positions during the 1994 World Championship, including at San Marino. But it was at San Marino that he lost his life. As Senna was turning the famous Tamburello corner on lap seven, he ran off the track and collided with the retaining wall at 145 miles per hour. His temporal artery was ruptured in the crash, necessitating immediate roadside treatment. Unfortunately, the injuries were just too grave and Senna passed away. A doctor later declared that Senna had likely died immediately upon hitting the wall, as his brain had effectively stopped functioning.
Columbine
America stood still on April 20, 1999, when Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold murdered over 10 and personally injured more than 20 in Colorado’s Columbine High School. At the time, it was the deadliest high school shooting in American history, and its aftermath played out in horrifying fashion on live TV. Reporters spoke outside the school, and survivors were interviewed after escaping and fleeing to safety. Perhaps the most famous live image of the shooting was the grievously injured Patrick Ireland climbing out of the library window and falling onto a nearby vehicle. Ireland survived and became known as “the boy in the window,” so iconic and proliferated was the image throughout the mainstream media.
Hurricane Katrina
Natural disasters are fodder for live TV, as news stations try to keep viewers updated on any and all developments. It happened with the Boxing Day Tsunami, and it happened with Hurricane Katrina. Occurring in late August of 2005, Katrina is widely known for hitting New Orleans, where the situation was made worse by fatal flaws in the city’s levees. Most of the city was destroyed and left underwater, and the visuals of such were widely shared in the media. When all was said and done, Katrina caused $190 billion in damage and killed thousands.
Christine Chubbuck
The first person to take their own life on live TV was Christine Chubbuck, a news reporter working for Florida’s WXLT. Chubbuck suffered from depression, which was mainly fueled by her loneliness and inability to find a partner. With her 30th birthday quickly approaching, Chubbuck fell into despair over what she perceived as a failed social life. After throwing what many colleagues consider to be a goodbye party, Chubbuck took her own life on July 15, 1974. After reading a series of news stories, Chubbuck took out a .38 revolver and shot herself behind the right ear. The director immediately cut to black, but it was too late for the live viewers who had witnessed Chubbuck’s final moments.
The 2011 Tōhoku Tsunami
Another natural disaster, more live destruction. This one occurred on March 11, 2011, when a massive earthquake struck off the east coast of Japan. It was the most powerful earthquake in Japanese history and caused waves that measured up to 130 feet and traveled almost 430 miles per hour. The destruction killed nearly 20,000 people, and hundreds of thousands more were injured and displaced. It also directly caused the Fukushima nuclear accident, which was also extensively covered in the news and which also displaced thousands. The tsunami remains the costliest natural disaster in human history, causing upwards of $300 billion in damage.
R. Budd Dwyer
On January 20, 1981, R. Budd Dwyer became the 70th Treasurer of Pennsylvania, and he would remain as such for the next six years. Unfortunately, Dwyer was embroiled in a scandal when it was found that he accepted a bribe from Computer Technology Associates to award them a contract regarding a state tax issue. He was found guilty, and his sentencing was scheduled for January 23, 1987. He could have faced around fifty years in prison. But the day before his sentence was to be handed down, Dwyer held a news conference and subsequently shot himself with a revolver. He died instantly, with one news camera capturing the event and broadcasting it on live television.
The Challenger Disaster
Every ‘80s kid surely remembers the Challenger disaster. There was a ton of hype behind this launch, led mainly by the Teacher in Space Project, which allowed New Hampshire school teacher Christa McAuliffe to fly with six other astronauts. The project was enormously popular, generating widespread interest in the Challenger launch and kickstarting a cultural fascination with space exploration. As a result, schools around the country tuned in and allowed their students to watch the Challenger launch live on TV. But on January 28, 1986, they all watched the space shuttle explode in real time, killing everyone onboard. It was a national disaster of epic proportions and one that will never be forgotten.
9/11
September 11, 2001 is a day that will live in infamy. It’s one of those days that people will never forget, where they remember exactly where they were and what they were doing when they learned about it. Virtually everything about 9/11 was aired live on TV, immediately following the first plane crash and proceeding throughout the following days and weeks. Scheduled shows and programs were halted to cover the news, and viewers watching at home witnessed things like the second plane hitting the South Tower and both towers collapsing in real-time. These are indelible images that will forever remain burned into memory.
