The 1980 eruption of Mt St Helens was the deadliest volcanic event to take place in U.S. history. It caused over $1 billion in damages and killed around 57 people.

These are pictures taken by Robert Landsburg, who was a photographer from Oregon. He had traveled to Mt St Helens on multiple occasions in 1980 to take pictures of the mountain before the eruption.

Besides the fact that these pictures depict a massive eruption from close range, they don’t look all that terrifying. This is a case where the story behind them is what makes them chilling.

These were the final photos that Landsburg frantically took of the eruption as the debris cloud raced towards him. Knowing he could not save his own life, he decided to save his photos instead. He took his camera off its tripod and rewound the film back into its casing, put the camera in its bag, and put the bag into his backpack. He then wrapped his own body around the backpack to protect it.

His body was found 17 days later. Along with the camera, his wallet was also found in his backpack, leading some to believe he stashed it there to allow identification of his body.

Not only did he photograph the incoming cause of his death, but the film itself also tells the story of how violent a death it was. Even with all the protection, the film shows damage and artifacts, created as Landsburg’s body was blasted with extremely hot, high-speed debris and ash.