What was meant to be a symbolic, artistic farewell to her bridal gown ended in unimaginable tragedy for 30-year-old Maria Pantazopoulos.
The Canadian bride had waded into Quebec’s Ouareau River for a “trash the dress” photo session—a growing trend that places newlyweds in dramatic, sometimes dangerous settings to create visually striking images. But the beauty of the moment quickly turned deadly when her wedding gown, saturated with water, became unbearably heavy and pulled her under the river’s powerful current.
Maria, a real estate agent who had married Billy Klouvatos just two months earlier, had planned the shoot as a creative way to celebrate the end of her bridal chapter and embrace her new life as a wife. The “trash the dress” trend—popular on social media—often involves brides posing in rugged or extreme settings like muddy forests, urban backstreets, or open water, with the gown ultimately ruined to represent transformation.
But for Maria, the symbolic act took a devastating turn. As her gown absorbed the river water, it acted like an anchor, dragging her beneath the surface. Despite efforts to save her, she could not be rescued in time.
Her death has sparked renewed concerns about the dangers of the “trash the dress” movement and the risks that may be overlooked in the pursuit of the perfect shot.
Dress Turns Deadly: Photographer Recalls Tragic Moments as Bride is Dragged Under
Louis Pagakis, the photographer capturing Maria Pantazopoulos’s “trash the dress” shoot about 46 miles northeast of Montreal, Quebec, witnessed a nightmare unfold that no one could have predicted.
As Maria waded into the river, her delicate wedding gown quickly absorbed water, growing heavier with every second. The once-light fabric transformed into a deadly weight, pulling the petite bride deeper into the turbulent current.
“She told me, ‘Take some pictures while I swim a little in the lake,’” Pagakis recalled to CTV News. “She went in, and then her dress got so heavy—I tried everything to save her.”
Despite being a strong swimmer, Maria was no match for the relentless pull of her soaked gown, which dragged her beneath the surface of a 26-foot-deep stretch of the river.
“I jumped in, screaming and yelling—we tried everything we could,” tearful photographer Louis Pagakis recounted the desperate moments during Maria Pantazopoulos’s tragic photo shoot.
“She was screaming, scratching, fighting to stay afloat,” said Pagakis’s wife, Anouk Benzacar, speaking to the Toronto Sun. “Louis tried to swim with her, but she was pulling him down. The dress was just too heavy. He couldn’t breathe anymore.”
Those haunting final words from Maria—“I can’t anymore, it’s too heavy”—were spoken just before she let go of Pagakis and was swallowed by the river’s current.
Two courageous police officers who arrived at the scene immediately dove into the water, hoping to save her. But Maria had already vanished beneath the surface, weighed down by a gown police described as “like an anvil.”
Her body was recovered later that evening, ending a desperate search filled with heartbreak.
The Risks of “Trash the Dress” Photo Shoots
Maria’s tragic death has reignited concerns about the dangers of the “trash the dress” trend, especially when it involves water.
Photographer and blogger Rhiannon D’Averc cautioned in a 2022 post that while the trend can create striking images, “going into water with them is a very bad idea.”
“Even if the dress isn’t voluminous, water is unpredictable and dangerous,” she warned. “What looks like shallow water at the edge of a river can quickly become treacherous. Currents can be deceptively strong, and before you know it, your model could be swept downstream.”
Her advice is clear: “Don’t underestimate the power of rushing water—even in seemingly shallow spots.”
Maria’s story is a heartbreaking reminder that some trends come with risks that simply aren’t worth taking.
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