‘Urban explorers’ mourn photographer who died in storm drain

PHILADELPHIA – A photographer who died while taking pictures inside a storm drain in Philadelphia is being mourned by other “urban explorers” who take photos of abandoned and hard-to-reach places.

Thirty-year-old Rebecca Bunting was swept away by the waters of a creek in the northeastern part of the city during a flash flood on Saturday. She had been taking photos with her boyfriend, who called 911 for help when she disappeared. Her body was recovered the next day.

A fellow urban explorer, Carly Weiss, tells Philly.com that Bunting was a “queen” in the community of thrill-seeking photographers. Many posted tributes on Instagram, where Bunting was known for photos of dilapidated hospitals, run-down amusement parks and other scenes of eerie emptiness.

Weiss said those photos now provide solace to many of Bunting’s friends.

“We’re always going to have Becca’s photos and the photos we took of her,” she said. “Becca is going to live forever because of this.”

Among the final photos Bunting posted was an image of a sunset viewed through an archway. Alongside it she wrote: “If there is life after death, I want to come back as a sunset. Ain’t much else more beautiful than that.”