(Editor’s Note: This post contains graphic content for mature audiences in the form of the video embedded below. Viewer discretion is advised.)

The Olympic Games are a time of triumph, a time of glory. This year’s Winter Olympics, however, contained a disturbing scene of death during the luge competition. On Friday, February 12^th, the opening day of the Games, luger Nodar Kumaritashvili died in a horrific accident.

Video of the crash immediately flooded the Internet, and tons of people tuned in to watch the captured footage. When I watched the video, I braced myself for a graphic and revolting scene of blood and gore. What I saw surprised me: Kumaritashvili comes off his sled, strikes an upright pillar, and lies still in a crumpled heap.

Sickly, I almost expect him to stand up and shake it off; it looked like a scene from America’s Funniest Home Videos. But the luger didn’t get up and shake it off.

In response to the widespread video footage, the International Olympic Committee quickly attempted to remove all of the graphic clips from the Internet. While this censoring is certainly an attempt to shield the general public from watching someone die on camera, it has proved to be unsuccessful. Videos and pictures of the event can be found easily…it seems as though the IOC’s impression that they would be able to control all coverage of the Games is extremely untrue. When it comes to the media, I think everyone needs to learn the hard truth: you can’t control every photo and video that is leaked out to the public. It’s just not possible.